Unity
by The-3-Sueslayers
Summary: “That hand...” said Link. Marth looked over. “That hand has to go. We can’t live like this forever. I don’t know how, but it does.” Rated T for fighting and the occasional swear word. My God. It's done.
1. No More

Welcome back to Unity rewrite! I own nothing, and hope you enjoy my story. I have ONE point to make. Samus is hiding her gender. No one here, except Peach, Mewtwo, and Zelda know she's a she. So as Mewtwo Peach and Zelda are not narrating and neither is Samus, Samus will be referred to as 'he' until further notice. Thank you.

Here we go!

* * *

Day after day, they battled. Best friends fought. Brothers and sisters. Lovers fought each other. They even fought themselves. And there was never an end.

Link looked down at her. She lay sprawled across the ground, unconscious. Her dress torn, her face cut. By his sword. He reached down and lifted her, gently, into his arms, carrying her back. Tears fell from his eyes.

"Zel..." he said softly. "What are we going to do?"

"This has to end," he heard. Looking over, he saw the prince, Marth, kneeling over his friend, Roy. Roy's eyes were open, but he groaned with pain. "I'm so sorry, Roy," Marth said.

"It's OK," Roy said. "It's not your fault." He tried a smile, but it quickly turned into a grimace of pain.

"That hand..." said Link. Marth looked over. "That hand has to go. We can't live like this forever."

"You're right," said Marth. "I don't know how, but it does."

The conscious three looked over to see Kirby, the little pink one, being dragged onto the battlefield by the Hand. A tear fell from his big blue eyes. It splashed across the ground. He was tossed into the arena. The Hand came among them. It picked up Link. He hung like a doll in its fingers.

"Zel!" he called, struggling.

"I'll take care of her," said Marth. "Don't worry." He picked Zelda up. Roy stood, leaning on Marth's shoulders, and the little group limped back towards the place where they stayed.

And Link was tossed again into the battle, to harm someone he counted friend. "Forgive me," he whispered to Kirby. Kirby nodded. And then they fought.


	2. Revolution

This, by the way, is chapters 2 and 3 combined. I decided to make short chapters longer, because my measly half a page doesn't deserve to be a chapter of it's own.

Well, here we go!

* * *

"This has got to end," said Marth. The group was gathered around a table inside. The kitchen, with its pots and pans and painted cupboards, was an incongruous place to gather for a revolution. They didn't have much choice, though, as there were cameras almost everywhere else.

"You're right," agreed Samus. He shouldered his gun in a ready position. "So what're we going to do?"

"We've got to do something," Peach put in. "We can't go on like this. I refuse to hurt any of you ever again."

"And I," agreed Link.

"Me as well," Zelda said. She was mostly better, but still limped. She leaned on Link's shoulder.

One by one, each Smasher cried out to join their cause. All wanted to be free of oppression, and together they were a mighty force, that could succeed where alone they would be crushed.

"Everyone who votes to overthrow the Master Hand... and be free once again, say aye!" Marth said.

The room resounded with the shout of, "AYE!"

"This can't go on!" Roy said. "Our last day as Smashers begins today." He raised his sword.

Marth and the Links raised their swords as well. Peach raised a frying pan. Samus raised his gun, along with Fox, Falco and Captain Falcon. Those who fought with fists put them in the air. The Ice Climbers raised their picks. Then, there was chaos.

Once everyone was calmed down, Marth began to explain. "Here's the plan. Whoever gets chosen for the next fight will refuse. Simple as that. Just refuse. We'll be sitting in the stands. Whoever is in the fight just has to refuse to fight. The Master Hand will come. Then, all they have to do is shout 'unity', and that's the signal. We'll run out there and take him down. For good."

Suddenly, type appeared on the signal box on the wall. 'Zelda, Kirby 5' it said.

"Not Zelda," Link said. "No. Please, let me go instead..." It couldn't be Zelda. She was still hurt. He loved her too much to ask her to do something like this.

Marth looked sadly at Link. "We can't. I'd have liked to go instead... but the Hand called for her."

"No!" said Link. "She's injured!"

"Link," said Zelda. She stepped over to him and held his hands. "Let me do it. Don't worry, I can handle myself. It'll be alright." She leaned in and kissed him. "It'll all be OK," she repeated. Then, with a laugh, a playful expression in her eyes, she said, "Besides, I'm not exactly helpless. I've beaten you before."

He clung to her hands like a lifeline. "Be careful," he said. "Please, Zelda. Be careful."

"I will," Zelda said, smiling. "It'll all be OK." She hugged him, kissed him once more, then turned to Kirby. "Ready to go?"

Kirby nodded.

Link stared after her as she walked away beside the little pink puffball.

"Come on, Link," said Marth.

"She'll be OK!" said Roy. "Zelda's one tough cookie!" That brought a smile to his face as he followed Roy and Marth and the rest of the Smashers to the stands.

* * *

Thank you again! I hope you'll tune in for the rest of the rewrite, and tell me any further changes you'd like me to make. I'm not asking for reviews, I mean, from those who've read this before, but I'm not refusing if you feel you'd like to!


	3. Unity

Chapter 3! Editing these things really isn't too hard. I've grown a lot as a writer since I started this story, and with the help of a very smart reviewer, I can find the problems in my work and fix them.

Oh, and please forgive me for my pathetic attempt at Mario's accent.

Well, here we go! I own nothing!

* * *

"Ready... set... go!" shouted the announcer. Zelda looked at Kirby.

"No," she said, augmenting her voice with magic so it could be heard across the entire stadium. This brought chaos to the crowd as they wondered what was going on. "I won't fight." Suddenly, it was all silent.

"What?" The announcer cried. "You won't fight?" He sounded completely incredulous.

"No," said Zelda. "I won't." She turned to the crowd. Link saw her face, amplified by the screens. Truth shone in her eyes. "Everyone, listen to me. Do you know what this does to us? Well, I'll tell you. You see, I am engaged. Yes, I'm going to be married. To Link. Do you remember yesterday's fight? I fought Link. I had to hurt the one I would give my life for. Every day, we fight our brothers or sisters, our friends, our lovers, ourselves. We miss our homes. What about the heaven Link promised me when he proposed? We were going to travel the world, free and wild, just us. But instead, we are here. Just fighting. We have to hurt each other, when we promised to protect each other forever." She held up one hand. Her slim fingers were displayed on the screen, broadcast for all to see. "Look at my ring." The silver band was scratched and banged, and the spot where a jewel was supposed to be was empty. "When Link gave me this ring, it had a sapphire in it. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen, and he made it with his own hands. But, in some fight or other, the jewel fell off." She pointed down at the place where the fighters fell when they were knocked off the stage. "It's probably somewhere down there, smashed into a million pieces."

In the crowd, women fingered their own rings, murmuring pity for Zelda.

"Link tells me he has made great friends with Marth and Roy. And yet, he has to fight them every day. We are all close. Peach is my friend, and Mario, and Samus. Heck, it even hurts now, to fight Ganondorf! Yes, I know. He is an enemy. But that was when he was threatening the people I love. That was when we had something to fight for. Now, that is nothing."

Sitting the next row down from Link, Mario nodded to himself. "It's -a true. When your enemies haven't -a done anything to you, it's -a pointless."

Up on the field, Zelda continued. Now, she was angry.

"Does this ever get boring to you? Endless, every day, fighting! Are you the same beings, the same ones, who are crying out against wars, protecting people? We have to hurt each other here. And you applaud, you laugh. Are you the same people who have children and would do anything for them? I have been forced to fight children here. We all have. Think of Young Link. He's a child, only twelve. Popo is ten. Nana is _six_. And where are their parents? Nowhere in sight. And yet we are forced to fight these kids for your sick amusement. Are you the same people who say that they have souls? 'Cause it doesn't look like it!

"And it is not just me. Think about it. Is Kirby attacking me right now? No, he is not. All of us... Every last so-called 'Smasher' has refused to fight anymore. From Mewtwo to Pikachu, from Ness to Popo and Nana. We won't fight. No more!" She raised her gloved hand in the air. "I don't know your names. But, whoever you are, if you have any claim for a soul, you will help me. Help me stop this!"

After a moment, a single voice, a young woman, cried out. "Zelda! Zelda! Zelda!" she screamed. The sound crashed around the stadium as the entire crowd cheered.

Suddenly, there it was. The Master Hand. "But... I want to play!" it said. "No! Bad toys! Play! Play! PLAY!" It shot down and began to attack Zelda and Kirby.

"This isn't a game!" Zelda called. "UNITY!"

Link jumped off the stands and plummeted toward Zelda. He caught himself before he hit the ground. He slashed at the hand, attacking it with all the fury he was never able to summon for the fights. Marth and Roy dropped down next, followed by a wave of Smashers. All together, they used their powers for the benefit of one another. Mewtwo used his psychic powers to catch any the Hand tossed off and lift them back up. Captain Falcon and Samus worked together, flanking the Hand with their guns. Marth and Roy covered each other's backs, calling warnings and combining their sword strengths. Bowser threw Mario up at the Hand, where he blasted it with all he could. And Link and Zelda fought together with all of the power their bond gave them. They moved in perfect synchronization, practically reading each other's minds. The hand dodged and swerved, but wherever it flew, there was another smasher waiting with a weapon and a grudge.

However childish the Hand might have been, it was not stupid. When you're obscenely outnumbered by people fighting for freedom and you know you can't win, there's only one thing to do. Withdraw and regroup. So that's what the Hand did. Shaking Kirby free of its glove, the Hand fled. One by one, the audience left as well, cheering for the Smasher's victory. Even the announcer came down, told Zelda she was a fine speaker, and headed home. Finally, they were left standing together, alone in the field.

"The real test will start tomorrow," said Marth. "Everyone, get a good sleep. I'll keep watch."

"I'll help," said Roy. "You take the first half of the night, and I'll take the second."

"Thanks," Marth said, smiling at his friend.

* * *

Thanks a lot for reading this. I hope it's an improvement on the first!


	4. Breakfast Before the Storm

Hey again everyone! The title was courtesy of DianaGohan, who reviewed the chapter last time and said it might be a good title.

I own nothing! Let's go!

* * *

Link opened his eyes. He looked around. He was lying in his bed in the Smashers Mansion. Zelda lay beside him, fast asleep. He just sat for a moment, admiring the way her hair tumbled across the pillow. He smiled, savouring the peace.

She murmured something softly under her breath and opened her eyes. She looked up at him for a moment. "If you were anyone else, that'd be a bit creepy," she said with a sleepy laugh. "Good morning, Link."

"Good morning, Zelda," he said. The two got up. Link sought out his clothing and exchanged his pajamas for them. When he turned back around, Zelda was wearing something unusual. She had exchanged her dress for pants and a light top. At his odd look, she shrugged, slightly self-conscious.

"The dress would get in my way. It's getting pretty old and torn up anyway. I thought I might like a change."

"You look nice," Link said, smiling.

"Thanks," she said. The two walked down the stairs, hand in hand. They saw Marth asleep in a chair. Roy was walking in a large circle around the main hall, his socked feet padding over the carpet. He turned to see the two.

"'morning, Link, Zelda," he said, yawning.

"'Morning, Roy," Link said.

"Mind taking the watch for a minute?" Roy said. "It doesn't really seem necessary, but Marth'll flip if I leave while I'm on watch, and I have to go to the bathroom."

"Sure," said Link. He sat down on the stairs, and Zelda sat next to him. Roy raced off.

A moment later, Kirby came tumbling down the stairs. He expressed his energy by rolling around the room, cartwheeling and bouncing, and then bolting for the kitchen.

"Hope there's something left for our breakfast," Zelda laughed. "Kirby might just eat it all."

"That's true," Link agreed.

Then Fox came, rubbing his eyes blearily. To Zelda's "Good morning, Fox," he replied with merely a grumble.

"Not a morning person, are you?" Link commented.

Fox responded with a more lucid, "No, I most definitely am not."

"Better get to the kitchen," Zelda said, half-laughing. "Kirby's already there."

"I will," Fox said. "I'm not letting that walking stomach eat all the bacon."

Zelda laughed. "That'll be hard. He looked hungry this morning. Better get going."

Fox obeyed, utilizing all of his considerable speed to run for the kitchen. A moment later, Roy came back. "Thanks," he said.

"No problem," Zelda replied. At that moment, Marth opened his eyes.

"Good morning," he said, stretching.

"Hey, Marth!" Roy said, grinning. "You're finally up."

Marth smiled at Roy. "Thanks."

"No prob," said Roy, returning his smile.

"We'd better get to the kitchen," Zelda pointed out. "Kirby and Fox are already there."

Worry dawned on Marth's face. "The two biggest eaters here besides Bowser... uh oh..."

"SAVE THE FOOD!" Roy shouted, sprinting out of the room. Marth, Link and Zelda pursued him, laughing.

There were others in the kitchen. Peach, as a sometimes annoyingly early riser, was up. She, with the help of Game&Watch, who didn't technically sleep, had made the bacon that Kirby and Fox were fighting over. Zelda found some fruit and a bowl, and with effortless ease she arranged the fruit into an appealing array. Marth made a sandwich, while Roy munched a big apple. Link picked up a banana from the counter and a piece of bread.

More people came down, greeting their fellows with cheer that hadn't been seen in them in a while. Everyone seemed to get it; today was the beginning of the end of the 'Smashers'.

"That speech of yours yesterday was excellent, Zelda," Fox said through a mouthful of bacon.

"Brilliant," said Roy.

_I have not heard such heartfelt words in a long time,_ agreed Mewtwo.

_"_It was amazing!" Ness said.

"Perfect," Peach added. "You had them in tears."

"You have a talent for it," said Samus. When Marth offered him some food, he said, "no thank you. I've... eaten already."

"Alright..." said Marth, frowning in confusion. Marth had been in the kitchen before Samus, so unless the suited bounty hunter had a stash of food somewhere, he hadn't actually eaten already. But Marth was content to let people have their secrets, and Samus seemed to keep a lot of them. Not that he wasn't curious.

"Really, it was wonderful, Zelda," Link exclaimed, hugging her. "Good job."

"Thank you," she said. "All I said was what had to be said."

"And you said it perfectly," Link said.

"I just hope it was enough."

"It won't have been in vain," Marth promised. "We'll make it enough. Now... all we have to do is figure out where the Hands will go, find them... and destroy them."

"And be free," Zelda said quietly, a smile making its way across her face.

* * *

See you in the next chapter! Oh, and by the way, the sequel will be posted on Ultiman92's account, so watch him if you want to see what happens next!

And I advise you do. I've read a bit of what he has planned, and it is EPIC. I'm just along for the ride, putting my two cents in, and I'm going to enjoy seeing what he comes up with as much as anyone else!


	5. Stages

Hello everyone! And I'm back! This chapter hasn't been changed much, but I did my best to find things that weren't too good and brought them up to par.

I own nothing! Here we go!

* * *

It took about an hour, but everyone got up and ate. Once everyone was fed, the group stood around the kitchen table, looking at each other, slightly awkward. The silence was an itch they all wanted to scratch, but somehow no one said anything.

Peach finally spoke up in a small voice. "Um." she said. "What now?"

The silence was broken, and others began to voice their opinions as well."What DO we do now?" asked Young Link. "I mean, it was all exiting and emotional and fighting-spirit-y, but where do we start?"

"Let's see..." said Link. "Well, we should start by figuring out where the hands have gone."

"I bet I know where," said Ness. "I think they've gone to that place they always go to when one of us kicks their butts."

"You mean the Final Destination?" said Samus.

"Yeah," said Ness. "That."

"Well, we should at least check there," said Marth.

"Ok, so let's go," said Zelda.

The group did not move. They just stood there, staring at each other. After a moment, Link realized what the problem was.

"How do we GET to the Final Destination?" he said.

_When we are to go there,_ Mewtwo put in, _we are always given a map, but it changes every time._

Pikachu jumped about, calling something out.

_Pikachu says the map must be somewhere in the grounds,_ Mewtwo translated. _Which is a good point._

"So, we've got our course of action," said Roy. "Find that map! We'll split up and search all the battlefields and the mansion."

"I'll cover the Brinstar battlefields," said Samus. "After all, I do know them the best."

"Wouldn't you like some help with that?" asked Peach. "There are two of them, and between Mario and Luigi AND Bowser, I'm sure they can cover our battlefields."

"Thanks," said Samus. "We can search mine, and I'm sure we can manage your castle, too."

"Sounds good," said Peach.

"I can take the Hyrule one," said Link. "Zelda? Would you like to come?"

"Sure," said Zelda, "and when we're done, we can help Kirby with his. I'm sure he could use the help, since he has two stages."

Kirby nodded and hugged Zelda as a thank you.

"I'll take the Great Bay stage," called Young Link.

"Ice Mountain!" called the Popo and Nana.

"I've got the two Onett stages," said Ness.

Pichu squeaked._ Pichu would like to help you_, said Mewtwo.

"Great!" said Ness.

"I'll take the Corneria stage," said Fox.

"And I'll search Venom," added Falco.

"I would presume Yoshi is searching his stages?" asked Marth. Yoshi nodded.

_Jigglypuff says she will assist him,_ said Mewtwo.

Jigglypuff walked over beside Yoshi.

"I've got Mute City and Big Blue covered," said Captain Falcon.

Pikachu walked over to stand beside him. "You gonna help me?" Captain Falcon asked. Pikachu gave a definite nod.

"I'll... help Donkey Kong with his stages," Gannondorf said. DK clapped him on the back, nearly knocking him over.

"Marth and I have no stage," said Roy, "So we'll search the Tunnels and those strange stages." Below the mansion was an extensive set of tunnels, leading to all sorts of odd places, populated with mechanical creatures.

_I will search the Pokemon stages,_ Mewtwo said. _I can handle them alone, I am a very efficient searcher._

Game&Watch clicked and beeped. "Mr. Game&Watch's stage is pretty empty," Peach said. She looked at Game&Watch. "You want to search something else afterwards?"

"How about the mansion itself?" Link put in. "There might be something here."

Game&Watch beeped again and nodded.

"Everyone decided where to go?" Marth said. The they all nodded. "Alright. Let's go!" The group picked up weapons, donned armour where applicable, wished each other luck, and charged for the door.

Unfortunately, the door was not made to let all of those people out all at once. The ones who had bolted were now stuck, shoulder to shoulder in the door, unable to budge.

Marth, standing a few feet behind them, along with Zelda, Link, Mewtwo, Samus and Peach, looked at them, trying not to laugh, and failing miserably. He, along with Link, was soon on the floor clutching his aching gut and trying to calm himself down. Zelda was leaning on a table, laughing but still on her feet, while Samus was on his knees. Peach was chuckling into her hand, while Mewtwo simply stood there, looking vastly amused.

_Tell me,_ he thought to everyone, _how did I know that would happen?_

"Well," said Roy, bitter sarcasm in his voice, "could it have anything to do with the fact that you're a freakin' PSYCHIC?"

_No, actually,_ replied Mewtwo. _If it was, how could Marth, Link, and Samus have found out about it? The truth is, you are far too predictable._

"Jerk," muttered Roy. What could only be described as a psychic smirk washed over everyone in contact with Mewtwo. "What was that?" Roy said.

"Roy," said Marth, struggling to his feet, "Mewtwo just laughed at you without opening his mouth." He had an uncharacteristic large smile on his face, and his shoulders were still shaking.

"What's with you today, anyway?" asked Roy. "You're never this happy."

"Nothing," said Marth, shrugging. "I just have a good feeling."

_Would you like some help?_ Came Mewtwo's still amused mindvoice.

"Fine," Roy grudgingly agreed.

Mewtwo closed his eyes a moment. When he opened them, they were entirely purple. He held out his arms, moving along the line. Then, he raised one paw. Pichu went flying up in the air from where he was wedged, and the barricade of people collapsed into a pile of flailing bodies.

"Ow..." said Roy. He was lying on the floor, with Popo and Nana tangled in a heap on his chest.

Link couldn't help it. He dissolved into laughter once again.

* * *

Thanks for reading!


	6. The Search, Part 1

Aaand, the start of the action! I did my best to add life to each of the situations. Here we go!

* * *

"Marth," said Roy. Marth, startled out of his thoughts, looked up. "Everybody else is gone," Roy continued. "Are you coming, or am I searching the basement myself?"

"I'm coming," said Marth. The two of them walked toward the door, down the stairs, and into the basement tunnels.

It was dark. The Tunnels were, in fact, pitch-black. Marth's pupils were open wide, almost eclipsing his blue irises. He couldn't see as well as he'd like to, but it was well enough to walk. He listened carefully for any sound that might betray one of the Wire Frames or monsters that roamed the Tunnels, but the only sound was their gentle footsteps and the clinking of armour. "Uh, Marth?" said Roy, stumbling slightly. "I can't see ANYTHING. If you remember, I have terrible night vision."

"Oh, right," said Marth, holding up his sword. He closed his eyes, summoned his magic, and his sword began to glow with a gentle white light. When he opened his eyes, they were unfocussed. Roy moved in front of him and watched carefully around the hallway as the two walked.

"So, where do you think that map's going to be?" asked Roy.

"I don't know," replied Marth shortly. Roy, leaving his friend to concentrate, said nothing more until his ears picked up something coming down the hallway towards them.

"Marth, there's something coming," he said.

"Alright," said Marth. The light dimmed until just a faint glow, perhaps candle-strength, lit the hallway. "That's better. I hate not being able to see."

"Right," said Roy. "Making your sword glow bright like that dims your own sight, right?"

"That's right," said Marth, "but you said something was coming. Shhh."

Roy shut his mouth, and the two stared tensely down the hall.

***

Game&Watch opened the door to the broom closet. He walked inside, peering around. It was too dark to see, so he reached up, feeling around for a light switch. His hand bumped a shelf, and a box filled with powdery white stuff fell on his head. He shook the soapy-smelling flakes off of himself. Finding the light switch, he flicked on the little bulb hanging from the ceiling, and started to search.

Looking behind a bucket, Mr. Game&Watch found a scrap of crumpled paper. He carefully smoothed it out on the ground. Studying the unfamiliar writing and strange, incomplete drawing, he recognised a picture of a face. Peach's smiling face. It was unmistakable, once the wrinkles were smoothed out. He picked it up, stowed it in his bag, and continued searching. He'd show that to Marth and Link when everyone met up. Maybe they'd be able to read the strange writing.

***

"Zel?" Link called. The two were searching Hyrule temple. Around the outside, there weren't many good hiding places. The gentle wind through the grass and the familiar ruins put Zelda at ease as she searched. Link, however, didn't sound so at ease.

Zelda looked up. "Yes?"

"Come here a minute."

"What is it?" she asked, walking over.

Link was facing the worn stone wall when she walked around the side of the temple to him. He was staring at a simple, wooden door. Plain, light wood, a simplistic handle. It wasn't locked. The door was so normal, so completely unobtrusive that Zelda immediately became suspicious. "Do you recognise this?" Link asked. She shook her head.

"We should search it," said Zelda. "It's too unobtrusive. This is a temple. If it was a normal door for a temple, it would at least be decorated a little."

"I'll do it," replied Link. "You look inside the temple shrine. Maybe the map's hidden around the altar. Don't they have a secret compartment in the altar of this temple?"

"They do," Zelda said. She walked away, into the temple.

Zelda shivered. Somehow, this old shrine, even as a replica, always made her feel full of awe. It wasn't the largest she'd ever seen, but it was most definitely the most beautiful. Ancient stone pillars towered above her head. The angels carved near the top of the pillars seemed to watch her, and the goddesses tiled onto the roof cast their gaze over the room. Whoever had gone to Hyrule and replicated the Old Temple was a master at their work. It would be a shame to disrespect it by searching it, but she had to.

She set to work, ignoring the feeling of being watched. With all the carvings, who wouldn't feel like someone was looking at them?

***

Samus and Peach walked companionably along together. "I wonder if Mario will get jealous, me going off with a _guy_ like that," Peach laughed. "Wasn't the look on his face funny?"

"Wow," said Samus, taking off her helmet, letting her blond hair spill out of its bun into a ponytail over her shoulders. "The men around here really are gullible, aren't they? I mean, how long have I been duping them?"

"Ages," said Peach. "Forever. Who knows. Of course, we have some peculiar characters here, so maybe they just think you're a nut."

Samus snickered. "Or, maybe, they're so used to Marth that they didn't question having another sissy in the bunch."

"Samus!" Peach said. she tried to sound stern, but laughter won out. "He's very nice, once you get to know him. He's just..."

"Sissy," Samus cut in.

"Well, maybe a little," Peach laughed. "He's not wimpy, I mean, you'd be hard pressed to find someone stronger. He's just... different."

"It's the tiara," Samus said. "if he didn't wear the blasted thing, he'd be a whole lot less laughable."

"He's dramatic, not laughable," Peach said, in defence of her friend. "That's why he's kind of girly. It's a combination of the fact that he's fairly gentle, that he's a speed swordsman more than a strength one, and the tiara."

"Does it really matter? He's still girly. And how did we end up talking about this anyway?" Samus said. "We should be looking around."

"Good point," said Peach. "We should be looking around." She paused a moment, peered at Samus out of the corner of her eye. "Race you to Brinstar Depths."

"Last one there has to search Kraid's mouth!" Samus laughed. She ran off, Peach in hot pursuit. The two girls relaxed, neither having to hide who they really were around each other.

***

"Hey, what's this?" Fox said, leaning over. He reached down to pick up the scrap of paper on the floor of the cockpit. "It looks like... a piece of a map_._" He peered at it. "With... my face on it?" He smiled. "I'd say I found something."

***

"Pfikha!" Pikachu called around what he had in his mouth. He jumped carefully from car to car, watching his timing. Because the racers were constantly shifting, he had to watch and think before he leaped. The wind would blow him right off if he missed. He was pursuing Captain Falcon, who was at the moment searching one of the cars. His voice was muffled. "Pfikha Pfiiiii!"

"What is it, little buddy?" Captain Falcon said. He crawled backwards out of the half-open cockpit of one of the racers. He looked over to see a scrap of paper in Pikachu's mouth. He took it, unfolded it. Luckily, Pikachu had kept it dry, so he could still read it. It showed a long line along an unfamiliar map piece, and Mewtwo' face next to the line.

"I'd say this is what we've been looking for," Captain Falcon said.

***

Mewtwo hung in the centre of Poke-Floats as the giant balloons blew past him. He reached out with his mind, feeling his power filled every corner of the stage. He called up past memories of the map, searched for something that felt the same.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, flew full speed after one of the floats.

***

"Marth?" Roy whispered.

"Sshh," Marth hissed. They both heard the footsteps marching towards them. It was impossible to tell how many, because the creatures marched perfectly in sync. There could have been fifty, there could have been one. The soft glow given off by the strange robot-like things known only as the Wire Frames came into view, and Marth doused the light from his sword, confident that they'd be able to see. All together, there were about ten of them. A measly force, compared to what Marth and Roy had fought before, but still enemies. "Get ready," he hissed to Roy. They strode forward quietly. The Wire Frames turned and attacked.

* * *

Thanks for reading! I'm starting to really enjoy this editing.


	7. The Search, Part 2

Part 2 of 'the search'! I hope you're enjoying this as much as I am. After this is all done, I'm going to read it over. Then I'm going to print out a copy for myself and put it on my bookshelf. (if I own enough paper)

* * *

Link opened the suspiciously unsuspicious door, walked into a tiny little room. It was dark inside, and shadows rendered the corners and most of the walls partially invisible. "Navi," he whispered. His fairy, Navi, came out of his hat and hung in the air. She glowed a pale blue. The glow made it impossible to see what she looked like, other than transparent wings that shimmered like a soap bubble.

_Hello, Link,_ she tinkled, irritated. _Finally decided to let me out, huh? Do you know how long I've been stuck in that hat?_

"I'm sorry, Navi. But now I need your help."

_Of course. A dark room. You need me to light it up, don't you?_

"Please," Link said.

Navi gave a long-suffering sigh. _Alright. But can I stay out this time?_

"Of course," said Link.

Navi tinkled in the air a moment, and then her light increased. She flew in a slow circuit around the room, as Link examined what was inside it. She lit up shelves full of seeds, a pair of shears. There was a hoe leaning up against one wall. It looked like a farmer's storeroom. Navi stopped, and hovered over a chest. It was plain wood, as unobtrusive as the door. So, naturally, it was suspicious._ Link!_ She tinkled. _There's something inside here! Strong magic is leaking out of it._

Link walked over, and pulled at the chest. It didn't come open. "There must be a key somewhere," he whispered. "Navi, any ideas?"

_Well,_ Navi giggled,_ you could try the one hanging on the back of the door._ She fluttered over to the back of the door, her glow glinting off of a small key. It was a plain, silver metal, as unobtrusive as the door and the chest. So, of course, it was suspicious, since this was a temple.

"Navi, you could have told me about that earlier," Link laughed. He walked over and took the key off of the hook. He tried it in the chest, and, lo and behold, it worked. Link put a hand into it and pulled out a red jewel. Navi lit it up, hovering over it. It reminded him of Din's Fire, but Zelda had that now.

Zelda. The moment Link thought her name, his thoughts turned to her. How headstrong she was becoming. She was completely different than the Zelda he had known, and, if possible, he loved this one even more. Suddenly, he caught a flicker in the gem.

"Navi, more light," he said. Navi, grumbling, glowed even brighter. An image became clear in the gem. It was Zelda, inside the temple. She knelt in front of the altar. Searching over it for the right tile, she pressed it, popping out a secret drawer. There was a map piece in there, obscured by shadows. Suddenly, the shadows leaped out and attacked.

Zelda reacted immediately, laying around her with sword and magic. The shadows took the form of a dark shape, unclear in features but taller than her. She was doing very well, and through the shock Link felt a surge of pride. But suddenly, the black thing disappeared. Zelda looked around her, confused. Then she was grabbed and yanked back by something Link couldn't see.

"Zel!" Link shouted. He jumped up, ran to the door, raced across the grass. He pulled at the stone door to the temple, but something held it closed. He pulled even harder. Nothing.

A black fury overcame Link. No one kept him away from Zelda when she needed him. He took control of the anger, converting it into strength that would allow him to do almost anything. He stepped back one step. Then he pulled back a leg, and kicked the door. It went flying into the church... silence met his ears.

He raced inside to find Zelda lying on the ground, unconscious. A dark shape was standing over her. It poured a thick, dark liquid over her, and she convulsed, crying out.

Link raced over, his anger building even more. With a single punch, he knocked the black thing away from Zelda. He searched desperately through his pockets. Water... he had to wash it off of her, he knew. It was already spreading across her arms, turning them a deep purple.

Here! Navi cried. She was tinkling desperately above the basin of sacred water. Link raced over and filled his bottles full to the brim. He ran back over to Zelda. She was covered now in the dark something. He poured the water over her. Wherever it touched, the darkness retreated. He spread it across her arms, and they became pale again. The darkness retreated, struggling across the floor to disappear into the shadows.

"Zel, please..." he whispered. He washed the rest off of her, soaking her pants and top with the holy water. There was only a little of the darkness left now, but he was out of water. He ran back to the basin to get some more. When he got back, it was gone. He didn't know whether to be terrified or relieved. Soon she began to stir. She opened her eyes...

_Oh no!_ cried Navi.

"What happened?" gasped Link.

"What is it?" said Zelda. "Is... something wrong with me?"

Link took her arm and gently helped her to her feet. He guided her to the basin of water. She looked in and gasped at her reflection.

Her hair and body had remained the same as far as the two could see, but one of her eyes had changed. The left was its usual crystal blue, but the right had become a dark purple.

"What did this to me?" cried Zelda.

"That," said Link. He pointed at the dark creature, lying unconscious where Link had hit him.

_Oh, princess Zelda!_ cried Navi.

"It's alright, Navi," said Zelda. "I feel fine... I'm sure we can fix it later. For now, how do we kill that thing?"

The water washed away the dark stuff, said Navi. Maybe it will kill the creature.

"Good plan," said Link. He took his bottles and filled them again with the water. Walking over to the creature, he poured the water all over it.

The creature emitted a fearsome screech and dissolved into nothing, leaving the map piece on the floor.

Link picked it up. "We've found it."

—

Marth and Roy stood, back to back, surrounded by the dead wire frames that even now were fading to nothing.

"What were they doing here?" Roy wondered out loud. "In so few a number? Surely they knew we could defeat that bunch."

Marth shrugged. "Diversion? Or perhaps his forces are weak? Maybe they were a scouting party?"

"Scouting party," Roy said. "That's probably it."

"Come on," said Marth. He squeezed the handle of his sword, and the blade began to glow again, guiding their way.

---

"Come on, Samus," said Peach. "I won, and that means you have to search Kraid's mouth. 'Cause you know that's probably where whatever we're looking for is going to be."

"Fine," said Samus. With an exaggerated glare, she put her helmet back on and climbed up the stalactite that was the easiest way to Kraid. Peach, confident that Samus' suit would keep her safe from his teeth and saliva, continued searching the other parts of Brinstar Depths, keeping an eye on her friend. She found nothing out of the ordinary. Just a lot of rocks.

"Hey," Samus said. "Have a look at this." She tucked something into her belt, jumped back to the Stalactite, and slid down. She showed the thing to Peach.

It was a piece of paper, torn and ragged and wet with Kraid's spit. It's faint designs showed a piece of a map. "Think this is what we're looking for?"

"Probably," said Peach. "But please, can you hold it? Your gauntlets are more waterproof than my gloves, and I really don't like the idea of Kraid's spit on my hands."

"Sure," Samus laughed. "Come on, we should go back. I think we've found what we're looking for."

---

"A little light?" Roy said.

"Of course," said Marth. His sword glowed.

"I think we're in a big room," said Roy. "I can't see any walls but the one behind us."

"I'll light it up," said Marth. "But please, keep an eye out for Wire Frames, alright? I don't want to be caught blind."

"Right," said Roy. "I'll be careful."

Marth walked a ways forward into the darkness, his eyes making out distant shapes. He held up his sword, concentrated. He felt his sword begin to glow brighter. As it did, his world faded into darkness.

"That's enough," he heard. "Stay there." He obeyed. Next, he heard sounds of searching.

"This looks a bit like a ballroom. Hmmm... Maybe we're in an old castle?" Roy wondered out loud.

Light, faint footsteps sounded behind them. "Roy?" said Marth. "Can you look around for me? I heard something coming from behind me."

He heard a pause in the searching. "There's nothing there, Marth. Don't worry. I'm keeping an eye and an ear out for anything."

"Good," said Marth.

"Ah!" said Roy. "What's this? Some sort of chest..."

Roy bent down to examine the thing in front of him. "Aha, I might have just found what we were looking for," he said. "I'll be done in a second, Marth."

"Alright..." came Marth's answer. "Finish quickly, please."

Roy bent even closer, and thrust his fingers into the knot or rope holding the thing shut. "Almost there..." he muttered.

Suddenly, the radiance lighting up the room disappeared, and Roy was plunged into darkness. "Marth!" shouted Roy. "What the hell?" When he got no answer, what must have happened dawned on him. "MARTH!" he shouted.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Dun dun DUUH! What's gonna happen next?

Except, that question is redundant because YOU ALL KNOW what's going to happen next. :D


	8. Divided

This, actually, wasn't edited too much. I kind of like my battle scenes, they're not bad. I edited a little, just to improve the overall look of the thing, but the basics are the same. Here we go!

I own nothing!

* * *

Roy stood still in the darkness, hands on the hilt of his sword. He couldn't see a thing, and he didn't dare to move in case that guided whatever was around straight to him.

He stood there for what seemed like forever, wondering what he was going to do. Then, he heard a scratching. A small light sprung up in the corner of the room. A match. The light grew until it lit the entire hall. But this was not the pure white light produced by Marth's sword. This light was red, flickering. It was fire.

Roy looked over to see a dark figure crouched before the fireplace. The figure had some sort of machine strapped to its back. The machine caught the light of the fire. Rods from the centre expanded out along the figure's arms and legs.

Its fire lit, whoever it was stood up and turned around.

"Marth!" gasped Roy.

—

"What am I going to do?" cried Zelda. "What is this?"

"The Sacred Water got rid of the darkness while it was on you," Link said. "Try washing your eye in it."

Zelda walked over to the basin. She looked down at herself in it. She lifted some of the water in her palms and, being sure to keep her eyes open, splashed her face with it.

She doubled over, air hissing through her teeth. "It feels like acid on my eye," she groaned.

Link raced to her side, supporting her. "It's OK Zel," he said. "Let me have a look."

Zelda looked up at him, a slightly desperate expression on her face. "Please tell me it's back to normal."

Link sighed. "It's not."

"Damn," Zelda muttered. Suddenly, she began to shake. "Ohh..." she groaned. "I feel terrible..." She jerked and shuddered, nearly falling to the ground. Link lay her down so as not to drop her and knelt next to her.

She closed her eyes, opened them again.

This time, both were purple, with red pupils. The whites of her eyes had turned black.

"Zel!" Link shouted.

—

Marth's eyes were unfocussed, his face expressionless. He held his sword in his hands.

"H-hey... Marth... what's the matter?" Roy said.

Suddenly, Marth raced across the room, striking like a hawk. Roy just managed to get his sword up in time to block the attack. He stared into Marth's blank face. Not a hint of recognition registered.

Roy stepped back, blocking another swing. Then another. Marth let loose a devastating combination of blows, sending Roy flying across the room.

Roy caught himself just before he slammed into the wall.

—

As Zelda shook, the purple colour spread across her face, down her arms, and appeared on her legs. She levitated into the air, landing on her feet, and looked around dispassionately.

"Zel!" Link shouted. "Zel! What's wrong?"

Suddenly, she flung out an arm, and a blast of magic went flying at Link.

Link leaped back, staggering with shock. What was this? What was she doing? He whipped his shield up, but her magic burned through the metal, leaving it in two, slightly melted pieces on the ground.

Link rolled out of the way of her next attack, darting behind a column. He dodged behind another, and a second later the first was annihilated by Zelda's power.

—

Marth had always been faster than Roy. That, combined with his cunning, meant that he had almost always beaten Roy in a fight.

The knowledge disturbed Roy as Marth flew at him again. He managed to roll out of the way, but the hilt of Marth's sword banged into the back of his head. He felt blood drip down.

"Uhhhh... damn..." Roy muttered, feeling dizzy. Marth stood over him, raising his sword, as the world went black.

—

_What am I going to do?_ Link thought desperately, dodging another blow. His sword hung in its sheath at his waist. _I will not harm Zelda. I promised never to hurt her._

Navi tinkled at him from her place, hovering again over the basin of Sacred Water. _Link!_ She called. _Try to get her to drink some!_

"Alright," said Link. He began to form a pattern to his dodging: every time, he ducked closer to the basin. Finally, he rolled behind it.

He heard her methodical footsteps as she drew closer.

"Navi," Link whispered. "Distract her."

_I'll do my best,_ Navi replied. She tinkled loudly, flying just over the basin.

_Listen! Look! Over here!_ She called in her highest, most irritating voice. Zelda continued forward, not bothering to destroy the columns behind her. Link thanked the gods for that as he ducked behind one, creeping up behind her.

As she walked up to Navi and fired up a spell, Link put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her head into the gilded basin. She struggled for a moment, then fell limp. She slid to the floor, already turning back to her original colouring.

The basin was cracked. The Sacred Water was flowing out through a hole in the side, caused by Zelda's struggling.

Link pulled out his five bottles and filled them from the stream of Sacred Water. He hoped it was enough.

He then turned to the unconscious and shaking Zelda.


	9. Discovery

Re-introducing Sael! She morphed slightly over the course of the story, so I changed their first conversation a little.

I own nothing! Let's go!

* * *

Marth raised his sword. Suddenly, something stayed his hand. He lowered it again, dropping it to the ground. He could see, he could think straight again. He could control himself.

He dropped to his knees beside Roy. Roy lay on the ground bleeding profusely from the head. Marth tore a strip from his cape and tied it around the wound. It turned red almost instantly. Roy did not move.

"Roy..." He whispered. Tears sprung in his eyes. "What have I done?"

The tears fell to the ground, rolling down Roy's prone face.

He heard someone sobbing.

A girl walked in to the room. She was wearing a black body suit, like a ballerina. She had light skin and brown hair. As she moved forward, she wiped tears out of her eyes.

There was a small machine in her hand. She threw it to the ground and crushed it with her foot. The machine sparked. Tears continued to fall.

"I have... hurt him. You are... sad." she said in a voice that sounded unfamiliar with the words. She walked over to Marth and pulled something off his back, a machine painted in the same colours as the one she had been carrying. That she crushed underfoot as well.

"You... made me do this?" Marth asked. She nodded, not looking up. Marth raised his sword, standing up. "I'll kill you!"

"Wait," she said. "Don't kill me yet. I want to try and save him first."

"You can't save him," said Marth.

"I can try," she said grimly. "Kill me afterwards."

"If you can save him, I might spare you," said Marth.

She knelt down on the other side of Roy. She raised his head and torso off the ground, leaning him against the wall. She pulled a bottle full of red liquid out of her pouch. Leaning Roy's head back, she poured it down his throat. Then she pulled out a proper bandage and tied it around his head, using the strip of fabric to secure it. Marth noticed that, as she worked, her hair and skin slowly changed colour. Now she had very dark brown skin, dark eyes, and short, dark hair.

"You just changed appearance," he said incredulously.

"Yes, that is what happens to me," she said in a flat voice. "I have no appearance anymore. I could control it once, but now I cannot." Then she stared at him. "What do I do now?" she said. "I want him to live, but I don't know of anything else to do. He might live and he might die."

"Pray he lives," said Marth. "Because if he doesn't, you most certainly will not."

She turned a blank face toward him, as she gently pressed on Roy's chest and listened for his breathing. "What's that? How do you do that?"

"What?" Marth asked coldly.

"Pray."

"You don't know how to pray?" Marth asked.

"No," she said. "I... don't know what it is, and I've never really felt like that, and I guess I never needed to. Can you show me?"

"How to pray?" Marth asked.

"Yes."

Marth shrugged. He didn't see how that could be a problem. He thought of a prayer, said it out loud.

"What does it mean?" she asked him.

Marth thought he might as well explain. "Well... it's asking the gods to help Roy live, and if not, that he may find peace."

"Gods? What are those?" she asked him.

"Well, they're..." he began. He was interrupted, however, by her.

"He's... awake." She put his head down and moved away.

Roy moved, muttered something under his breath, and opened his eyes. "Ow..." he said. He looked up. "Marth! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with him," the girl interrupted, before Marth could explain. "I did it. I made him hurt you. The Master Hand sent me to do it, to divide you, to try to crush your... 'rebellion' was the word I think he used." She looked at him, despair in her eyes. "I am so..." She trailed off, looking like she didn't know the words to say "I mean, I am sad and angry that it happened, but it was my own fault. What's the word for that?"

"Sorry?" suggested Roy, sounding more than a little confused.

"I'm sorry, then, for what I did. I will never, ever control anyone again I..." She trailed off, again appearing not to know the word.

"Promise?" put in Marth. "It means to say you will and to mean it."

"Promise," she repeated. "No one will ever again be harmed by me."

Roy looked at Marth skeptically, clearly wondering how the girl, small and shy-looking as she was, had controlled Marth. Marth simply pointed to the machines, broken and twisted on the floor.

"Oh," said Roy simply.

She reached into her pouch again. "Here," she said. She held out a piece of paper. "This is the part of the map you were looking for that is here." She put it on the ground next to Roy. Then, Roy noticed that she had changed appearances. He resolved to ask Marth about that later. "There are no more pieces in the Tunnels." She turned around and began to walk away.

"Where are you going?" asked Roy. "If you just betrayed the Master Hand, wouldn't you now join us?"

She turned around. "I have a counterpart, a boy who is like me. I want to... what's the word? I want to stop him from being bad, make him realize that there's... more than fighting and controlling."

"Redeem, I think," said Marth.

"Redeem." she said softly. "I want to redeem him. I.... pray, was that the word? I pray you succeed in your quest." She turned around.

"Wait," said Roy. "What's your name?"

She turned back. "I do not have a name. I am called Controller - Female by some, Operator 2 by others, and Counterpart by my counterpart. You could call me one of the first two, if you wish."

"Do you want one?" Roy asked. "A name?"

She looked at him, shocked. "I... nearly killed you. I controlled your best friend and made him harm you. But still you are so kind to me..."

"Sure, you hurt me, but everyone needs a name," said Roy. "Anyone not having one... it's just too weird. Besides, if we're on the same side, I don't really want to stay mad. It's only a memory now, anyway. So do you want a name or not?" Marth raised his eyebrows at how forgiving his friend was. He would never understand Roy.

"To have a name..." she said. Her expression became faraway. "Like anyone else does... to have something to call myself..."

Roy turned to Marth. " I'll take that as a yes. A name for her..." he said, looking thoughtful. "Well, first we'd have to know what she is." He looked at her questioningly.

"I am an 'Operator'," she said. "I was created some time ago, along with my counterpart, to monitor and control the tournaments by use of the main computer system. My counterpart and I also sometimes travel across this world and perform tasks. I know some things... I can fight a little with knives. I know how you fight with a sword and a gun and fists, but I can't actually perform those actions myself."

"That tells us what you can do," said Roy. "It doesn't tell us what you are."

The girl looked blankly at them. "I do not know what I am."

Roy looked at her critically for a moment. "Then we'll find you a name to help you find yourself. How about Sael? It means discovery."

"Sael..." she whispered. "Is it really mine? Can I be Sael?"

"You can be if you want to," said Roy.

"What is the word for... being glad someone did something, and wanting to do something good for them?" she asked.

"Being thankful," said Marth, raising an eyebrow at her lack of knowledge of what seemed to be the most obvious words. "You express it by saying 'thank you'."

"Thank you, Marth, for sparing me so I can save my Counterpart," she said. "Thank you for teaching me the words I needed. I'm sorry for what I did to you, and to Roy. Roy, thank you for... um, what's the word for not being angry anymore?"

"The action is Forgiving. The object is Forgiveness," said Marth.

"Well, thank you for forgiving. I'm sorry for hurting you and Marth. And thank you for giving me a name... thank you for helping me."

"It's not a problem," said Roy.

"Thank you both," she said. "I must go, though. Goodbye." She turned and began to walk away.

"Goodbye, Sael," said Roy. "Good luck with your counterpart."

"Good... luck?" she questioned.

"It's when you want good things to happen to someone, and you want them to be happy," explained Marth.

"Good luck," Sael said as she walked away into the darkness.

Marth rose and helped Roy to his feet, and the two left the basements.

"Roy," said Marth, "Why did you forgive her... Sael, so fast?"

Roy looked at Marth, replying, "Sure, she's been stupid. But so have I. So have you. We've all done things we regret. Besides, you haven't forgiven her, and she hasn't forgiven herself. That'll be hard enough, with two people holding it against her. Besides... like I said to her, it's just a memory now."

"That makes sense," said Marth, "but what she did was still wrong."

"I don't like holding grudges," Roy said, shrugging, as the two walked up into the light of the mansion.

* * *

I love Roy in this chapter. I wish I could be like him.

Thank you for re-reading!


	10. Darkness

This will be the last one for today. It's not edited much, but not all of them need to be. Here we go!

* * *

The sun had set outside of the window, and the 'smashers' were once again gathered around the kitchen table. All of them sat in chairs, eating, discussing what had happened.

Earlier, when Link had returned, carrying an unconscious Zelda, Marth had stopped him, asking for an explanation. After explaining wearily what had happened, Link had carried Zelda upstairs. The two had come downstairs about an hour later. Zelda did not remember what had happened to her, so Link had explained. Now, she hung her head, guilt dragging her down like a hundred-pound weight. Link, unable to stand watching her sad, was trying to comfort her. Each of the Smasher teams told about the things that had happened to them.

"And she gave us this paper and said that's what we were looking for," said Roy.

"Do you trust her?" put in Samus. "After all, she might have been lying."

"Yes, I do," said Roy. "She smashed the machine that was her weapon, and promised she'd never hurt anyone again." He held out the map piece, spreading it out on the table.

"She did seem to regret what she had done," Marth put in. "But if she was lying, we'll know when we don't have all the map pieces."

"We found a paper like that." Samus reached into his pocket and pulled out a paper. "I had to redraw part of it, it was washed off and partially digested. I found it between two of Kraid's teeth."

"Eeewww," put in Nana, shuddering. "That's gross."

"We've got one," added Popo, pulling it out of his parka. All the teams brought forward their map pieces.

"We'll have to assemble the map," said Marth.

Once all the pieces were laid out, they started to look for pieces that went together. Two of the pieces had half each of the same face, so those were easy to put together. As they were set next to each other, the papers seemed to melt together until that piece of the map was whole and unblemished.

"Cool!" said Roy. "How does it do that?"

_The same way it was broken apart and scattered all over the place?_ Mewtwo suggested, slightly sarcastic.

"Right," said Roy, glaring slightly.

After that start, it was easy to figure out where the rest of the map pieces went. Soon, they had a map that was almost completely whole.

"Didn't that dark creature leave us something like that?" said Zelda.

"It did, didn't it?" agreed Link. He pulled the paper out of his pack and placed it in the only hole.

In a flash of light, the map was whole.

"That will make this a lot less difficult," said Marth. "We simply start in the Tunnels, then go through all the places one by one. Everyone, get a good sleep. We leave for the Final Destination tomorrow."

Everyone parted company and went to bed.

Zelda lay awake, staring at the moon outside of her and Link's bedroom. Link's arm was around her, and by his breathing she could tell he was asleep. Strange, dark thoughts danced around in her mind. Slowly, she began to remember what she had done in that blank period.

_She looked around, calculating. Her heart, normally passionate, wise and wild, had become a stone, cold, rational... malevolent. She suddenly felt an overwhelming rage, and struck out at the man who she loved so much. Inside her, something cried out desperately, the real her, trying to escape the iron prison. But this, this other Zelda, squashed its cries. She attacked, cruelly destroying the temple that she loved so dearly._

_But then, the Sacred Water went down her throat. It burned like fire, but where it touched, she changed. The old Zelda came back as it trickled into her stomach, as its purity pumped through her blood. Then, she blacked out, and knew no more._

She closed her eyes, and an image danced behind her eyelids. Dark Zelda stared at her with eyes of fire, poisoning her. She was frozen, terrified.

But then, Link stirred in his sleep. His hand moved to rest on her cheek, and his gentle breathing stirred her hair. Her hands found his. She took the warmth of his embrace, turned it into a shield. A feeling, kind of like the Sacred Water, poured through her. It heated her cold hands and heart. She smiled, not opening her eyes. It was a defiant smile, a strong smile. Nothing could harm her. She had herself, she had Link. He loved her, and he had said so, even though she had destroyed the temple and hurt him and Navi. He loved her anyway, and Navi forgave her. The knowledge gave her strength, strength that she turned against this dark version of herself.

The image of Dark Zelda faded, defeated for a time.

* * *

Yaay Zellie! Go her.

Thanks again!


	11. Generosity and Strong Will

Okay... so I lied. I just can't keep away!

Everyone (if anyone's reading) New World is now up! It's been posted on Ultiman92's account! Go read it if you've already read Unity!

* * *

The smashers gathered together at the entrance to the Tunnels. Each carried a bag with a few belongings, a bedroll, plus some food. Spirits were high. They had slept well and deeply, nothing had disturbed them, and they were on their way to destroy that which made them suffer. Link, who had been up fairly early, watched them all arrive and greeted them, holding Zelda's hand in his.

Marth walked to the front of the group once everyone had arrived. "We go now to destroy the Master Hand," he said. "Everyone, we need the kind of teamwork that we had fighting him the first time. He is trying to divide us. We can't let that happen." He smiled. "United, we are more than a match for the Master Hand. But if we fight among each other..."

"We won't!" Roy called out. "Right?"

"We came this far. We're not going back now," said Samus.

_We have to work together. The best way to do so is give up all rivalry between us. After all, we work toward the same goal,_ Mewtwo said, knowing very well that there were mortal enemies among the group.

Mario went over to Bowser. "We a' workin' together now," he said, holding out a hand.

"For now," Bowser said, shaking it. "But the moment this ends..."

"And we'll be ready," put in Peach. "If we have to fight again, you'll find out exactly how hard I can swing a frying pan." She held out a hand to Bowser as well, smiling sweetly. He shook it.

Gannondorf walked to Link and Zelda. "A momentary truce is in order, I believe," he said. "There are greater causes than power to pursue at the moment."

"Momentary," agreed Link.

"Or forever," Zelda put in. "There are always greater causes than personal gain. We could do a lot for Hyrule working together, and you wouldn't be thwarted so often."

Gannondorf looked at Zelda suspiciously. "No," he said. "Don't push your luck, I _will_ rule Hyrule some day."

Zelda cocked an eyebrow at him. "Then you'll have to fight me for it. But if you take a liking to playing the good guy, my offer stands."

"I'll remember that," said Gannondorf.

"Let's go," Marth said.

"Yeah," agreed Roy. "We've got some major butt kicking to do!" With a cheer from the more spirited members, the group headed into the dark of the basement.

The tunnels were pitch black, as usual. It was an oppressive darkness, creating the illusion that even with light, you would see nothing around you. They walked, the silence only broken by the occasional soft curse as someone tripped someone else or stubbed their toe. Nana and Popo were walking close behind the adults, and Nana was clinging fearfully to her brother.

Marth sighed. "I'll light the place up," he said. "But I won't be able to see."

"I'll make sure you don't bump into anything," Roy said, "and this time I won't get distracted. I promise."

Marth smiled. "I trust you. And besides, we've dealt with one adversary, and I doubt all of them can move as silently." He held his sword in one hand like a torch, and closed his eyes. Zelda watched him carefully, wondering how he performed the magic when he didn't seem to be magical himself. Zelda augmented her sight with magic, looking for the life energy rooted inside everyone. The energy that worked Marth's eyes was funnelled down into his body, than carried by his aura power into his sword, producing the glow. "Ah!" whispered Zelda, comprehending. "A trade-off for a generous soul. He gives up his own sight to let others see more clearly."

"Is Marth magical?" Link asked Zelda quietly. "I didn't see any magic in him."

"Not exactly," Zelda said. "But all can use simple magic if their spirit is a certain way. Marth thinks of others first, almost subconsciously. So by doing that, he develops the ability to temporarily sacrifice his sight, turning it into light, and enabling the people around him

to see through darkness." She smiled. "That he has a power like that is proof of how devoted to others Marth is. He's a very good man."

The bright light lit up the Tunnels, throwing into stark relief their strange shape and the marks on the walls. Roy guided his friend through the Tunnels at the head of the line, tugging gently on his arm. All the others grouped behind them.

Zelda found that she could see incredibly well in the dark of the Tunnels. The heavy shadows cast by Marth's sword light were evened out, and the marks on the walls seemed to glow.

"I volunteer to scout ahead," she spoke up. "My night vision seems to have been improved. I can see clear as day even without the light."

"That sounds good," said Marth, speaking in Zelda's general direction. "Please do. And warn us if you find anything."

"I will," said Zelda.

"You know you don't have to," said Link.

"I want to make it up to you," she said. "This curse is actually doing me some good."

"Be careful," Link said.

"I will," Zelda promised. She walked farther, turning a corner. The light from Marth's sword faded. The Tunnels seemed to glow with an unearthly light, swirling and pumping. _Creepy,_ Zelda thought. She felt her head spin, and slowed down, taking some time to get her bearings.

Suddenly, a bouncing light came up behind her. Zelda whipped around and saw Navi.

"Link sent you after me, didn't he?" Zelda asked,

_That's right,_ said Navi. _He worries a lot about you_.

"Well, it will be nice to have your company," Zelda said.

The two looked around in silence for a moment. Navi spotted the writing on the walls. She went over to it, lighting it up with the radiance of her wings. _I can't read it,_ she tinkled. _What language do you think it is?_

Suddenly, Zelda heard a soft voice, whispering into her mind. _The reason your stupid fairy can't read the words on that wall is that they are written in the old language of the Brotherhood. Our language. We can read it._

_Hey!_ Navi tinkled. _I heard that! Why do you think I'm with Zelda anyway, Creature of Dark? I have a heart link with both of them! Drive it away, Zelda! Send that creature packing! Lies! Blasphemy! Evil!_ Navi continued to shout.

_Read it, Zelda,_ the voice, Dark Zelda, continued, ignoring Navi. _It contains all the wisdom of the universe. The secrets to all you've ever wanted... all you have to do is read them. And with me, you can._

_Leave her alone! You have no idea what you're dealing with! Go away! Go back to the dark hole from whence you came!_ Navi continued to tinkle relentlessly. Zelda felt the Dark's annoyance. She smiled.

_No,_ thought Zelda._ I won't. If the secrets can only be obtained through darkness, then there is probably a reason why they're secret. Now shut up. I'm scouting._ Dark Zelda tried to say something more, but was cut off by Zelda. _I don't want to hear it. Shut up and leave me alone. I may not be able to get rid of you yet, but I can suppress you. You are darkness. Going over to darkness would hurt those I value most. Get out of here._ With a mental shove, she pushed Dark Zelda to the corner of her mind.

"Come on, Navi," she said. "The portal to the place we need to be is just ahead. Let's go back and report."

_Okay, Zelda,_ Navi said. _Let's go._

The two headed back towards the light of Marth's sword around the corner."There's the first spot marked on the map just ahead. There seems to be nothing to get into our way."

"Thank you, Zelda," said Marth, who hadn't opened his eyes.

Link walked to Zelda and hugged her tight. She relaxed into his embrace, Dark Zelda pushed away again. She would not win. No matter what.

One thought haunted her head as she followed Roy, who led the still sightless Marth. _Those walls... what do they really say?_ She squashed the thought and squeezed Link's hand. She didn't need to know. After all, what use could they be to her?

"Are you alright?" he asked softly.

"I am," she said. "Don't worry."

* * *

I've always liked Navi in this chapter. XD


	12. Ike

Here I am again! ^^ At this rate, I'll have Unity re-posted in a jiff!

Now, Ultiman noticed an inconsistancy here. Since Unity takes place after Brawl, they've already met Ike. So I've changed this a little.

Well, here we go!

* * *

The group blinked in the sunlight. After the oppressive dark of the tunnels, the sunlight was almost painful. Roy looked around. The sight of trees, grass, what seemed to be a meadow was a welcome one after the gloom and still air of the Tunnel. He smiled. Getting down to business, he peered at the map over Marth's shoulder. "It's this way, I think," he said. He took hold of the map, and Marth let go of it, knowing Roy liked and was used to maps. Roy turned, orienting himself with what seemed to be the correct way to travel. "There should be a gate ahead. It has a picture of Peach and Samus on it. Beside that is a door, which leads to the next Tunnel. But the Tunnel door has a picture of a lock next to it."

"Then we go this way," said Link, another with experience with maps. "The lock probably means that the door is locked, so the Key's probably through that gate." He took a look at the map and set of in the direction Roy was pointing, Zelda at his side, Navi floating in the air beside them. Roy followed, and was followed by Marth, who was followed by the rest.

Soon, they arrived at a large and ornate gate. It did, indeed have a sign with a picture of Peach and a picture of Samus beside it. Roy walked over and tried to open the gate. It didn't budge.

Peach walked up to it. She placed a hand gently on the gate handle, and it swung open without the least apparent effort. "I guess only Samus and I are allowed in," she said. She turned to Samus.

"Why can't -a Luigi or I go?" Mario protested.

Peach laughed outright. After calming herself, she gave no explanation for her outburst, but Zelda smiled as well. "Try it. But somehow, I don't think you can."

Mario strode toward the door and tried to walk through. As he was just about to pass the threshold, he was thrown back by an invisible force.

"Samus and I have to go," said Peach. "You ready, Samus?"

"You're on," Samus said. The two walked toward the door and passed through it with ease.

"Be careful, you two," said Marth. "And remember, you're looking for a key. If you can find it, come back right away. This isn't on our route."

"We will," said Peach. The two, Samus and Peach, walked away through the gate. It swung shut behind them.

A deafening silence followed. "Well," said Marth, sitting down. "There's really nothing we can do but wait. I would have wanted to go, but they're strong."

_Will Peach be alright?_ wondered Mario.

Luigi, guessing what was on his brother's mind, clapped him on the shoulder. "Peach'll be fine," he assured him.

—

Peach and Samus walked along together, through a bright meadow much like the one they had just left, but with hills this time. Samus kept her helmet on, probably preparing for the battles that might be ahead. Peach looked around, keeping an eye out for enemies or a key of some sort.

Suddenly, Samus called out, "Wire Frames!"

Peach whipped around to see a group of them racing over the grass toward the pair. She pulled out a golf club from her pack and sent one flying, giving Samus time to charge her arm cannon. The pair fought off the relatively easy enemies quickly.

"What on earth was that?" Peach wondered, as the bodies of the Frames faded out of existence. "We've beaten hundreds of those things. Why send more after us?"

"Don't know," said Samus. "But we should keep going."

"Yes," agreed Peach. She stepped up onto the root of a tree, and to her surprise, it turned out to be what looked like a living ship! It quickly began to rise.

"Aaah!" Peach shouted. Frozen with shock, she stood rooted to the creature as it flew straight up.

Samus watched her companion go shooting up into the air. That thing was way too fast! She leaped up into the tree, trying to follow the thing with her arm cannon and charge it. A blast came out of her cannon, one that she feared would be too small. But it did the trick. Peach was knocked off the thing, where she pulled out her parasol and floated to the ground.

"Thanks," she said, touching down lightly.

"No problem," said Samus. "Remind me to watch out for those things, if there are more."

"I will," said Peach.

The two climbed over hills and under trees, destroyed many Wire Frames and a couple of other strange things. Once, Peach was accosted by a small creature that attempted to kiss her. When it did, Peach felt as if her soul was being sucked at. Samus knocked it off with a blast.

"Ugh," said Peach, wiping her mouth. "I think I'm going to throw up!"

Samus laughed. "I've never been gladder for my helmet. That's probably the only reason I'm not the one it tried to eat."

Peach laughed in return. "'eat' is right. I'm surprised that thing can get a mate. That was the most disgusting thing I have ever felt on my mouth."

"What, the freaky monster's a bad kisser?" Samus asked, her serious tone belied by the fact that her shoulders were shaking with laughter.

"A terrible one," Peach agreed. "And I should know. When I kissed that Mario Clone by accident, I'd thought that was the worst thing I'd ever felt. Boy, was I wrong."

Samus burst out into laughter again. She staggered to her knees. "Am I ever lucky then. I got off easy."

"What," Peach teased. "Never kissed anyone before?"

"Once," said Samus, her tone nostalgic. "He was a very good kisser. But... I don't think I'll ever see him again."

"Why not?"

Samus looked at the ground. "He was taken by the Space Pirates." Her voice was blunt.

Peach, knowing Samus' story, looked away herself. "I'm sorry."

Samus looked up, composed herself. "It's alright. It's got nothing to do with the task at hand. Let's go."

The two set off together once again. Slowly their surroundings changed from meadow to forest, the trees becoming more dense and the hills disappearing.

"Ow!" Peach said. "Stupid bramble! Give me a second, my dress is caught."

"Let me help," said Samus. She walked over and assisted Peach in freeing her dress from the branch of the bush. The two took a step forward - and went flying into the air again.

As they hurtled up, Samus knew that soon they'd be too high up to get off without hurting themselves. Without a thought, she pushed Peach off of the thing, and Peach went tumbling to the ground. Samus kept going right on up.

After a while, the thing stopped. Samus looked around. She was far too high in the air to jump off, she'd be flattened like a pancake even with her suit. She felt light-headed from the lack of oxygen so high up.

Looking down at the thing she was standing on, she saw a small puddle of orange liquid on it. Suddenly, she realized what it was. It was supposed to be clear. It was digestive liquids, and the orange was the dye on her boots.

"So that's how you catch prey," she said. "You carry them high up and eat them while they can't get away." She considered for a moment just jumping off - it would be quicker.

Suddenly, she heard a shout. "SAMUS!"

She looked over to see Peach riding on another of those flying things. Also on it was a young man, blue haired, in a torn red cape and rough travelling clothes. He looked so familiar... He carried a sword. Peach said something to him and he nodded, looking at Samus. "Hold on!" He shouted. He drew his sword and launched himself over the divide between the two floating things. He threw his sword, shot higher in the air, and grabbed it. He then slashed the creature right in half. Samus began to tumble to the ground. The young man dove down after her. He grabbed her arm and held on to her. Then she felt herself jerk to a stop.

Looking up, she saw the young man holding onto Peach's parasol with his free hand. Peach clung to it as well, and the miracle parasol was actually slowing their decent. That's some parasol, Samus thought, impressed. The young man's sword, released after the attack, plummeted to the ground. He looked down at her. "You ok?" he called.

"I'm fine," said Samus, a little miffed. She wasn't used to being rescued.

A moment later, they landed none to gently on the ground. The three rolled in separate directions, trying to ease the impact.

"Thank you for helping us," said Peach. "When Samus pushed me off and was carried away, I thought we were both doomed."

"It's no problem. It's what I do," he said. "I'm-" he started to introduce himself, but was cut off by Peach.

"You're Ike," she said, "Right? We've met, but we never had the chance to talk."

"At the battle, right?" Ike asked. "With Tabuu. Yeah, I'm not surprised. I split right after that - my team was waiting. But I never caught your name. I saw you there, but..."

"I'm Peach," said Peach.

"Princess Peach?" he asked.

"You are correct," Peach said, curtseying.

Ike grinned. "Two can play that game." He swept a low, deep bow to Peach. "It is an honour to make your acquaintance, My Lady. By the way..." he continued, "what brings a princess and a..." He trailed off, looking at Samus.

"Bounty hunter," put in Samus.

"And a bounty hunter out here anyway?"

"Looking for a key," said Peach.

"Our companions are waiting," Samus added.

Ike looked even more confused. "So they sent you two out alone?"

"For your information," said Samus, annoyed at Ike's implication that they were defenceless, "We came through a door that they couldn't enter. And we can handle ourselves perfectly well. We were merely surprised."

Ike took a step back, surprised by Samus' fire. "Woah," he said, holding up one hand. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean it as an insult."

"It's ok," said Peach. "Samus is just a little miffed because it's usually her who does the rescuing, like she saved me."

"Ah," said Ike, grinning. "I understand. Titania is like that. I suppose I'd be that way, if the tables were turned." He looked behind Samus. "You say you're looking for a key?"

"That's right," said Peach.

"Well, that looks like a place where a key would be held," he said, pointing.

Samus and Peach turned to see a building. "Yes, it does," Samus reluctantly agreed.

The group walked inside. It was a strangely modern building for such a pristine countryside, but it was completely deserted. "I'll stick with you guys for a while," said Ike. "I'm looking for my group, but I'll have a better chance of finding them wherever there's action. Plus, I think Ragnell fell around here."

"Ragnell?" Peach asked.

"My sword," said Ike. So they had a companion, at least for a while.

They entered a plain corridor, white walls, tiled floor, and as deserted as the first room. They walked down it, keeping their eyes open for the inhabitants of the building.

"Robot!" shouted Peach. Ike, forgetting for the moment he was unarmed, ran forward, reaching for his sheath, where Ragnell should be. When he went to draw his sword, he stopped in his tracks.

"Damn," he said as he dodged an attack. Samus charged up her arm cannon, fired a shot, and the robot was charcoal.

"That better?" she asked smugly.

Ike looked at her, his pride clearly dented. But he smiled at her, said, "Much. Thank you. I can't do much damage to metal without Ragnell, which I dropped in that aerial attack."

"Are you two finished scoring points on each other yet?" Peach asked crossly. "Yes? Good. Let's go." She swept off down the hallway, regal as a queen. Ike and Samus quickly followed, both guessing correctly that she was not to be trifled with in such a mood.

Peach encountered another robot, which she swiftly beheaded with a blow from a golf club. Ike raised his eyebrows. "Impressive," he said. "I shudder to think of what you could do with a sword."

"Thank you," Peach said, smiling at the compliment, and continued down the hallway. They stopped before a great door.

"I'm guessing there will be a trial past here," said Ike. "There will be some big bad thing guarding the key and, presumably, my sword will be there as well. If the basic idea of a dungeon is being followed here. If not, who knows?"

Peach lifted her hand and opened the door.

The room was open to the sky. Just like Ike had guessed, Ragnell lay in the middle of the room. He raced over and bent down to pick it up.

Samus heard distant wing beats. "Uh oh..." she said. _I guess this is the 'trial'. And I bet I know who's going to start dive-bombing us any minute now._

* * *

3 this chapter. XD I like Ike and Samus.


	13. The Trial

Aaand, I'm back! I didn't change this much, but here we go!

* * *

The wing beats grew louder. Samus looked up to see the last thing she wanted to encounter at the moment, but what she had known would be there. "Ridley!"

And he was diving down... down... straight towards Ike.

"Ike!" cried Samus, instincts taking over again. She raced toward him, charging her cannon. She fired at Ridley, shoving Ike out of the way of his huge claws.

Ridley, hurt by the cannon shot, turned his attention to Samus. "Aha!" he hissed. "So _you're_ here. I've got you now." His claws sank into her suit, picking her up into the air. He flapped around in a circle for a bit.

Samus felt electricity shoot from her suit. It burned through her body, every bone aching like it was on fire. Then everything went black.

Ike looked up at Samus. "Dammit!" He muttered. He tossed Ragnell and started the same attack he had used to take down the bird-thing.

But Ridley shot out a claw and caught him too. "Two for one! And I would have settled with simply killing Samus." Ike hung in the air, a few feet from the unconscious Samus. He saw Ragnell clatter to the ground, useless now that it was out of his reach. He was shaken like a tambourine by the huge thing's erratic flight.

Peach looked up and panicked, as Ike and Samus hung, helpless, in Ridley's claws. She looked around, and saw Ike's Ragnell fall to the ground.

_Ike's eyebrows shot up. "Impressive," he said to her. "I shudder to think of what you could do with a sword."_

_A sword!_ Peach ran across the floor and picked up Ragnell. She held it in one hand like she held her frying pan. Ridley laughed outright. "You, even injure me with a sword?"

Peach immediately felt a disgust for the owner of that sanctimonious, mocking voice. She only had one shot at this...

She aimed and threw Ragnell with all her strength. It flew up toward Ridley's eye, where Peach had been aiming. But it missed, lodging in the tender flesh of his nose.

Ridley cried out, dropping his two captives to the floor. Shaking his head, he dislodged the sword. It fell to the ground and embedded itself next to Ike, who lay unconscious. Samus was next to him. Her suit sparked dangerously. Ridley flapped his huge wings and soared away. "Don't think you're getting away from here alive!"

Peach raced over to them. Ike seemed fairly unhurt, but Samus was bleeding from Ridley's claws and her suit was broken. Peach ran over and began to tear away the sparking, electrocuted sections of the suit from Samus' body, hoping that they had not already stopped her heart.

Suddenly, Ike was awake. Without a word he moved to Samus' other side and helped Peach at her task. His face was quiet and full of concern. Quickly enough, they had gotten rid of the suit of mechanical armour, and Samus was left with her light blue bodysuit. Her hair was tangled and spread out beneath her, surrounded by her helmet, cracked into two pieces. Peach loosed Samus' gun from its holster at the hip of her suit. It seemed alright. Peach lay it next to her.

"We should bandage her wounds," said Ike. He felt around in his backpack, never taking his eyes off of Samus. "I don't know if I have any, but... aha!" He pulled out a roll of bandages, and a bottle of what Peach assumed was a wound-cleaner. "Although I don't remember putting them in there..." Then he smiled fondly and laughed. "Mist! I'll have to thank her for that." At Peach's confused look, he explained, "Mist is my sister. She sometimes gets worried when I go off on my own, and she sneaks bandages into my pack so I'll have them if I get hurt."

"Oh," said Peach. "Let me do it, Ike, I've done it a lot before. You might be hurt too. See if you're injured." Ike handed her the bandages and she set to work tying Samus' wounds. Before she did, she had to pick out the pieces of metal inside them, where bits of the suit had broken off. Peach made sure she had taken off her white gloves, but she shivered at the feel of Samus' warm blood on her hands.

"Oh," said Ike.

"What is it?" Peach asked, not looking up.

"I never felt that there..." Peach looked up to see Ike looking worriedly at a large gash on his side. "Do you think that thing... Ridley I think she called it, was poisonous?"

"Samus never said anything about it," said Peach. Then she thought a moment. "A natural painkiller in his claws, maybe? Whatever it is, we should clean your wound and then patch it up like I did with Samus'."

Ike leaned on one arm, exposing his wounded side to Peach. She paused - his shirt was partially covering the wound. "Ike, your shirt." Ike nodded and lifted the bottom of his shirt, revealing a bloody wound and quickly bruising ribs. He grimaced when a thread pulled out of the wound. Peach wet a piece of the bandage with the wound-cleaner and washed the gash. Ike gritted his teeth. The wound-cleaner stung, but he did not move until Peach had tied the bandage in place. "There," she said, getting to her feet.

"Thanks," Ike said. He got to his feet as well, stretching hesitantly. Then he smiled.

The two heard a small moan. They turned to see Samus moving slightly. Her eyes were open, but she squinted.

"Samus!" said Peach.

"What happened?" she asked. "Where's Ridley?"

"I'm not sure myself what happened, but I think Peach took him out," said Ike.

"With your sword," Peach said, slightly apologetic.

Ike laughed. Then he stopped, with a groan, clapped a hand to his side, and winced even more. "Owch!" he said.

"Did you clean that?" Samus asked, seeming slightly more luid. "Ridley's claws secrete a natural anaesthetic, but it's also a slow-acting poison. I have the antidote in my suit..." she looked down at herself. "But where's my suit?"

"Over there," said Peach. "We had to get it off you before it electrocuted you. But I salvaged your handgun."

Samus looked at the sparking remains of her suit of armour. "Oh," she said. "The antidote is in an unbreakable case, so it's probably still intact." She got to her feet, with Peach's help, limped over to her suit. She carefully searched through the bits, wearing a rubber glove. After a moment, she came up with a beaker. "Peach, did Ridley touch you?"

"No," said Peach.

"Then Ike and I will split this." Samus drank a mouthful of some red substance, then handed it to Ike. "Drink everything that's left. It's also a very high-quality healing potion, so our wounds should get better quickly."

Ike obeyed. He made a face the moment the liquid touched his tongue. "That's just disgusting," he said. But he drank it.

"We should get moving," said Samus. "Ridley is sure to be back."

"But we can't go very far," said Peach. "Ike, your sword is right over there. I'm going to find the Key we've been looking for." Peach strode off, leaving Ike slowly yanking his sword out of the ground, and Samus staring at the remains of her was my protection, Samus thought. And it was true. While she often took off her helmet around her close friends, she was almost never without her suit. It was her impenetrable armour, hiding her and protecting her. She wasn't so sure that she liked being so out in the open. Anyone could see her for who she was now.

"Samus?" Ike asked. "Are you OK?"

"I'm fine," she said. "I can build another suit."

Ike looked at her, thoughtful. He could tell by her voice that she wasn't OK. It was just a machine... yeah, he laughed to himself, just like Ragnell is just a sword. I'd be crushed if it broke. Her suit must be a part of her... maybe she even built it herself. He began to wonder what he could do to cheer his newfound friend up. With a final pull, he got his sword out of the ground. He made to put it back in his sheath, but then he looked at it more carefully. Something greenish covered the sword, clumping on the sides and generally looking and smelling vile.

"Uh..." he said, wondering what it was.

Samus looked over. Then she walked over and bent slightly, examining the sword. Suddenly, her shoulders began to shake. She laughed, harder and harder, until she was forced to her knees, gasping in pain but laughing all the while.

"Ike," she said, once she had recovered, wiping tears of laughter out of her eyes. "That's Ridley's snot."

"What?" Ike cried. He looked harder at it. It did indeed look like boogers. "... that's nasty."

"Don't get it near me," Samus said, sounding slightly hysterical with laughter. "My grossness quota has been overfilled. I had to deal with Kraid's spit. I don't even want to go near Ridley's snot."

Ike, laughing a bit himself, held the sword out at Samus, who retreated. Ike walked closer, still holding the disgusting sword out in front of him. Samus moved away. After a moment, they were chasing each other in circles like children, laughing, their wounds forgotten.

"Well," said Peach, walking back, a key in her hand. The two stopped, suddenly ashamed of their behaviour. "Aren't we having fun! Well, I'm glad to see you've both recovered so quickly." Neither answered. Then, Peach's expression softened, and she said, "Well, better acting silly than dead. Come on, I found what Samus and I are looking for."

The little group wandered back toward where Samus and Peach had gone through the gates. Ike stopped at a stream to carefully clean his sword off. He went back to Peach and Samus, and they continued on.

"So, Ike," said Peach. "What were you doing here anyway?"

"I was lost, actually," said Ike. "I went on a scouting mission for my Mercenary group, and I got sidetracked chasing someone who stole something of mine. I got it back, though."

"Ah," said Peach. "I see. Hoping we'll get you back on track?"

"That's right," Ike said.

Samus looked up. "The sun is almost setting," she said.

"We should rest," said Peach.

The group sat down. Peach and Samus made beds out of the leaves that coated the forest floor, while Ike laid out his cape and sat down on it. "I'll keep watch," he volunteered.

"Oh, no," said Peach. "Potion or no, you are still injured. I will keep watch. You two are going to get some rest, or I will make you." She pulled out her frying pan and waved it menacingly at them.

Neither were planning on annoying Peach, who was scary even without the frying pan when she wanted to be. So they both fell asleep fairly quickly.

The next day, it only took them a while to get to the gate the two had come through.

"Aha!" said Ike. He pointed at another gate. "That's where I came from."

"So you're leaving?" Peach asked.

"Yeah," said Ike. "But I'm sure we'll meet again. After all, I think you two have a tendency to be wherever there's trouble, and I'll be there too. So we'll see each other again."

"Goodbye, then," said Samus to Ike.

"Until we meet again." He looked straight at her, his face solemn for once. He shook hands with Peach, then held his hand out to Samus. She shook it.

"Good luck!" called Samus, as Ike disappeared into the other gate.

"See you!" his voice floated back through the portal.

The two looked at each other for a moment, sad to lose their new found friend so fast. "Well, we should head back," said Peach.

"Yeah," said Samus.

The two walked through the door.

"Thank'a the gods!" cried Mario, rushing forward to embrace Peach. She laughed and hugged him back.

"Who are you? Where's Samus?" Roy cried out, pointing at Samus. Samus then remembered that Roy still thought of 'Samus' as a guy.

"I am Samus," Samus said.

Roy looked shocked. "SAMUS CHANGED GENDERS!" he screamed.

The entire gathering looked at him, silent. Then Samus snorted with laughter and she, Zelda, and Peach fell over laughing.

"Roy," said Zelda, "Samus was a girl all along. She'd been hiding her gender from you all."

"Can you prove it?" asked Marth.

"Yes, I can, Martha," Samus said, using the nickname Roy had made up that so annoyed Marth.

"She's Samus," said Marth, looking unhappy. Young Link sputtered with laughter.

"Martha?" he laughed. Popo and Ness joined in. While the three little boys laughed, Nana walked over and patted Marth on the hand, pitying him. Marth smiled at the little girl, who went to go try to shut her big brother and his friends up.

"Stop it!" she said to them. "Marth's a nice man. Don't tease him."

The boys tried to calm themselves down, but then Popo sputtered with laughter again. Nana looked back at Marth, tears in her eyes.

"It's ok, Nana," he said to her. "It doesn't matter. They're just being silly." He walked over and patted her on the head.

"Ok," she said.

"We got the key," said Peach. "And we had some help..."

* * *

In the words of Takimi (in a review from her original creator, 'someone')

Ike. Samus. Heh heh heh.

Seriously, I didn't intend them to be like that the first time, but since that's how it goes, I made it a bit more obvious. I also made Peach's bandaging of Ike's wound a bit more practical.


	14. Ponderings

This is where things start to change. For what has changed, look for the small section that wasn't there last time.

* * *

Oh! _She thought._ The sky is on fire! _She gazed up at the sunset, completely captivated._ I want to see it up close! _She wanted to fly... like Kirby could, up into those beautiful crystal things and stand on them. She wished she could be close to the ethereal brilliance of the sky. Then a feeling, a presence drifted into her head. Her counterpart. Why couldn't he share in all of the things she was discovering? It was just like her name! Sael; discovery. She was discovering a million new things, a new life. She wanted him there to share it with her._

_"Counterpart!" came a call. She turned to see the welcome sight of her counterpart._

_"Sael," she corrected. "Please call me that."_

_"Sael?" he asked. "Why? Who is Sael?"_

_"Sael is me," she said, not knowing any other way to say it. "I am Sael. It is my... name."_

_He frowned at her. "Sael is not your name. You are my counterpart. We have no names."_

_"But I wanted one!" said Sael._

_"You are not Sael," he said. "It is not needed."_

_"But it is nice," said Sael. "It's being me instead of just being an Operator. You should get a name too."_

_"It is wrong," insisted her counterpart. "Sael is not you. We have no names. You are you, counterpart. You do not need this. It is not necessary.""Look," she said, pointing._

_"This day is over," he said, "and you have done nothing. That is all that says."_

_"But it is beautiful!" she said."What is beautiful?"_

How can I make him see?_ She thought._ He can't stay like this forever... _"Let me show you! Come, we have a resting day. Come with me!"_

_"I will come," he confirmed. Deep in the enchantment that surrounded him, a safety catch was put on high alert, though he was unaware._

—

The sunlight, even a sunset, was such a relief to them after a second run through the Tunnels. Roy grinned, running into the second wide field. The air was so fresh. He hoped this time it was his turn to go through the door and find the key, he didn't like waiting.

"We should camp," said Marth. Roy realized that Marth had flawlessly taken the rebellion and organized it from chaos into something that worked. He supposed it was logical. After all, from what he'd heard, the others had all had a clear path laid out for them in their journeys. Marth, as a prince with some practice at leading, laid out those paths for others. And Roy was glad to have somebody else to handle the boring stuff.

So the group settled down to sleep.

"I'll scout the area," volunteered Zelda.

"Be careful and stay out of sight," said Marth.

A mischievous look came into Zelda's eyes. She twirled in place, and Sheik was standing there instead. "Oh, no one can find me like this," she said. "As Sheik I can hide with the best of them."

"Cool," said Roy. "How do you do that anyway?"

Sheik unravelled her head scarf, and grinned at Roy. "It's simple. It's just a magical change in clothing and a bit of appearance." she turned to Link. "By the way, I think Navi should stay behind this time, I'm better at hiding alone and she's not too good at it."Hey! Tinkled Navi.

"But Navi, if there's an attack on the camp, send me a signal and I'll catch them off guard," said , said Navi. But watch out."I will," said Sheik, grinning. She rewound her head scarf. Then, "Mind if I make a dramatic exit? It's fun."

"Go ahead," said Marth. Link, knowing what was coming, covered his eyes. Young Link imitated him.

With great glee, Sheik threw a Deku nut. By the time they could see, Sheik was gone.

"I hate it when she does that," said Link.

"That," said Roy, "was _cool_."

—

_"Look!" she said, pointing to a flower. "It is a tiny sun!"_

_"It is a plant," he said. "So what?"_

_"It is beautiful! It is... alive. Look, feel it!" She grabbed his hand and wrapped it around the cocked his head at her. "It _is_ alive," he said, his voice lightening from its usual darkness. "I can almost feel it..."_

_"See!" she said. She grabbed him by the hand and pulled him away, trying to find something that would show him like Marth's tears had shown her._

—

Something nagged at Marth's mind. He remembered Ike, and hoped to see his friend again. But... Something that they had said that Ike had said...

It was about his sister. She had supposedly put bandages in Ike's bag.

Mist was dead. Marth knew that. Ike had seen her die. He had held his sister's hands, tears leaking down his face. At that moment, he had resolved to kill the other army commander. Marth.

Mist was dead. Ike's friends, like Marth's, were all dead. They had died in the war and left the two to face life alone. So how had she put bandages in his bag?

—

The camp slept fairly peacefully that night. Dark dreams swirled through Zelda's mind again, but she used the independency and strength she had learned from Impa as Sheik. She sent all her energy and her care against Dark Zelda, making her back off. Content, she settled once more into a comfortable place in Link's arms. He held her close.

That purple eye... She wished she could get rid of it. Every time she looked at her reflection in a pool of water, she saw it, and it reminded her of the strange darkness in her mind. And how disgusting it must look. The way Link looked at her hadn't changed, but she knew it must be ugly.

_You can get rid of it, you know,_ said the tiny voice in her head. _You can get rid of any flaw you want of yours, permanently. It's easy. There's a spell for it... _An image popped up into Zelda's mind. It was her, but she was... different. She was stunning, perfect. She was the most beautiful woman in the world. Her eyes were crystal blue, hair a stunning silky gold, a brilliant dress accenting the flawlessness. The voice came behind it.... _It's on the Walls in there. All you need to do is read them, and you can have that and more._

Zelda stared at the image. It was absolutely perfect, like a goddess. _What would Link think of me like that?_ Zelda wondered sleepily.

Suddenly, unbidden, a memory came to mind. Zelda, a red cut across her cheek.

_"It's ugly," she had said._

_"Not in the least," He had replied, touching her cheek and smiling. "It's you. It simply makes you look stronger. Anyway, perfect people scare me. They're like dolls with no personality. I love the way your eyes are slightly different shaped, I love everything that makes you Zelda instead of a painting. It makes you more real."_

_Perfect scares him!_ thought Zelda triumphantly, snapping awake. _Link doesn't want a perfect woman. He wants me, and he said so himself! If this eye is who I am now, at least I will know so you won't sneak up on me! If it is me, then let it be me!_ She knocked away Dark Zelda's influence. _Take that,_ she thought, satisfied.

* * *

Here's where things start to change a little. ^^


	15. Jigglypuff

Aaand, here's a chapter that hasn't been changed too much. I've added some description, characterized the talking a little more, but that's about it.

* * *

The sunrise that morning was beautiful. A veritable rainbow bursting into the sky, silhouetting the grass and trees against the sky. The air was cool, but not so cool as to be uncomfortable.

They walked a little ways to reach the next door. Next to the door was a sign with a pair of faces. Mewtwo's, and Jigglypuff's.

_Based on the sign,_ Mewtwo thought to them. _I presume it is our turn. The Key is what we need, correct?_

"That's right," said Marth. "Try to be back as quickly as possible, I believe there will be a lot of these doors."

Jigglypuff made a sweet, trilling sound and hopped over to Mewtwo. _Are you ready to go?_ Mewtwo asked her. She nodded affirmatively.

"Good luck," said Roy.

_Thank you,_ Mewtwo replied. He turned to the door, and glided through. Jigglypuff bounced after him.

The first thing that hit them when they crossed through the door was the temperature. The cool sunrise was replaced with shade, but it was muggy and hot. All around them was brownish water, with reeds and the occasional bright flower sticking out. Jigglypuff was standing on a wooden board walk that led off into the distance. Mewtwo and Jigglypuff looked around for a moment, examining their surroundings, then set off down the board walk.

_Stop,_ Mewtwo commanded. Jigglypuff froze, knowing that when Mewtwo used that tone, it was a good idea to listen. Mewtwo lifted Jigglypuff up and over a patch of boards. He then gave the path a slight psychic push and it collapsed. _A pit trap,_ thought Mewtwo. _How cliched._ He looked at Jigglypuff for a moment, completely serious, then continued, _but the more likely scenario is that this path needs maintenance._ Jigglypuff laughed lightly and agreed with him. And so they continued on.

It was fairly easy walking for a while, as long as they avoided the edges. Mewtwo used his psychic powers to sense rotten parts in the wood and warned Jigglypuff of them, and she jumped lightly over them. Mewtwo had no trouble with the planks, as he was levitating and wouldn't have fallen anyway. But still he fastidiously watched the path and warned Jigglypuff of the things she might fall in on. Then the path bluntly ended in a cracked edge, and there was no other path in sight.

_This looks bitten,_ thought Mewtwo. _So swimming is most definitely not an option. How to get across this..._ He looked at his feet, which were levitating off the ground. _Of corse. That was rather dense of me._ He turned to Jigglypuff. She could fly herself, but not very high, and she tired easily. _Jigglypuff, will you climb on my shoulders, or shall I levitate you?_

Jigglypuff replied that she did not like levitation, she would sit on his shoulders. She bounced up to him and settled onto his shoulders, clinging to the rope of muscle that extended out of the back of his neck. Mewtwo levitated them over the swampy water. He quickly skimmed over the surface of the swamp, swerving out of the way of the occasional water tree. After a while, the swamp turned into a rushing river.

Lush, green trees with bright fruits hung their branches over the water. The break in the trees for the river let through a sliver of golden sunlight, illuminating boldly coloured fish. There was the occasional loud squawk or shriek somewhere in the forest, and brightly coloured flowers whizzed by as Mewtwo, a cool breeze at his back, increased his pace slightly.

Jigglypuff made a warning sound and jerked to the left. Mewtwo, caught off balance, spun in the air, stabilizing himself just before they hit the water. Jigglypuff cut off his protest and pointed towards the spot where they had been. A very, very large alligator was now sitting on a partially sunken log and snapping in their direction. _Oh,_ thought Mewtwo to Jigglypuff, _startled by the size of the creature's mouth. Thank you. We wouldn't have survived long if you hadn't noticed that coming._

Jigglypuff replied that it wasn't Mewtwo's fault, he had been looking after her all morning and was even now concentrating on levitating the two of them and avoiding the branches hanging over the river, and that she was happy to help. Mewtwo thanked her and continued levitating them across the quickly flowing water, paying more attention to the river this time.

_We should keep following the river,_ thought Mewtwo. _Wherever this Key is, it is probably reachable by this route. Jigglypuff said it was a good plan._

They turned a sharp bend in the river, and a low roar met their ears. A ways ahead of them, the river plunged suddenly out of sight. A waterfall, Mewtwo thought. This might be what we're looking for. He moved closer, hanging just over the waterfall, looking down.

Jigglypuff called out another warning, but it was cut off as she was shoved off of Mewtwo's shoulders by a swamp bird big enough to eat her for lunch. She plunged down the waterfall, a tiny shriek all that reached Mewtwo as she disappeared into the mists at the bottom, her little body blown like a leaf by the air and water plunging downward.

_Jigglypuff!_ Mewtwo thought, flying down the side of the waterfall as fast as he could. He sensed her in the mists, tossed about and buffeted by the wild currents of the waterfall. He reached for her with his psychic energy, forming a bubble around her and lifting her out of the water.

She seemed alright on the outside, but Mewtwo was no healer and she had been knocked out. He brought her up to his level, and pushed the water out of her lungs. She coughed and opened her big blue eyes.

Jigglypuff threw her little arms around Mewtwo's neck and hugged him tightly. He saw her eyes move, and cried out for him to look behind him.

The bird was back. Only, there was another bird with it, seemingly of the same type, and that one was much bigger. And they both looked hungry. _Why, I wonder,_ Mewtwo thought, a trace of bitterness in his mindvoice, _does everything in this place have to be big enough to eat us?_ Jigglypuff replied with Pikachu's favourite saying. _Ah, yes,_ Mewtwo said, smiling at the bravado of the little yellow pokemon. '_the bigger they are, the harder they fall' indeed. And as it is a bird, it will fall hardest of all. Hold on tight, I'm going to try and outmaneuvre it._ And he blasted into a series of loops, tight turns, drops, and rises, all with the huge bird dive-bombing them. Jigglypuff held on to the cord of tissue at the back of Mewtwo's neck for all she was worth, occasionally crying out a warning.

_I don't want to have to kill it for being hungry, but if it doesn't leave soon..._ Mewtwo thought.

Suddenly, he felt something smash into his back... the little bird. _I was so busy avoiding the big one that I allowed myself to be blind sided by the little one!_ Mewtwo thought as he plummeted downwards, propelled by the creature into the waterfall's currents. He used the psychic energy he could gather - it was harder under stress and when he was in pain - to carry Jigglypuff to safely on the riverbank. _Run,_ he thought to her.

He heard her cries as he was forced into the mists. He slipped into the water, closing his eyes when they stung. As he blacked out, he hoped she wouldn't be eaten by whatever was going to eat him.

* * *

Thank you for reading!


	16. Unsure

Here's where you discover the answer to what's been bugging Marth for so long. ^.^

* * *

"I'm bored," said Roy. "I hate sitting around waiting for people to come back."

"Then go for a walk," Marth suggested, looking up from a book. "Or spar with Link. Or you could help Peach cook. Or read something."

"I'll go for a walk," said Roy. He didn't really feel like fighting or even sparring, he hated cooking, and he couldn't sit and read for more than five minutes without going crazy. He got up, strapped his sword to his belt, and walked around. There was a forest nearby. Perhaps there would be something interesting to see there. He wandered into it.

It was quiet and beautiful in the forest. The sunlight filtering through the leaves reminded him of riding through the woods on his young mare, Rin. He wished she was here, he would be able to keep himself busy by taking care of her. But she wasn't.

Suddenly, soft voices reached his ears. He walked toward them, keeping his step quiet and listening hard.

"There," he heard a male voice say, "Does that feel any better? Can you walk?"

"Thank you," a female voice he recognised replied. Then a couple of scratches, like someone walking heavily over leaves, then, "Slowly, but I can. Thank you very much for helping me."

He peered into the clearing to see a girl with red hair and green eyes, a black ballerina bodysuit, and a bandaged ankle limping around the in a circle. Was it... yes! He recognised what she was wearing, and even now, she was changing appearance. It was Sael! The man was a young man in a red cape with blue hair. He was holding the rest of a roll of bandages and a bottle in his hands. This was Ike, as Peach, Samus and Marth had all described the swordsman to him.

"Thank you... umm..." Sael said, leaving the end of the statement open for his name. And indeed, he replied with,

"Ike's my name. What's yours?"

"Sael."

"Sael!" said Roy, walking into the clearing. She looked over.

"Roy!" she said. "...hello..."

"This a friend of yours?" Ike asked Sael. Sael looked at Roy, a question in her eyes. Roy nodded and smiled.

"That's right," Sael said.

Ike looked at her, confused for a moment. "Why'd he tell you the answer?"

Sael looked down. "I have met Roy before, and he is a wonderful person, but I didn't know if he considered me his friend."

Roy laughed. "Of course I do," he said. "Now what happened to you?"

Ike walked over to Roy. "Her ankle's broken," he said. "I came upon her unconscious, and a guy in black stepped on her ankle and left." He turned to Sael. "So what did you do to get that guy so mad, anyway?"

"What guy?" Sael asked, confused.

"Right," said Ike. "You were knocked out. There was a guy in black pants and a black shirt with blondish-brown hair. I think he's the one who knocked you out, and he stepped on your ankle, then ran when I came in."

"Did he have greyish eyes?" Sael asked, sitting down with a thump. Ike nodded, and Sael got a look of shock and dismay in her own eyes, presently somewhere between green and brown. "No..." she said. "no, please..."

"It was your counterpart, wasn't it?" asked Roy. Sael nodded, not speaking. Her shoulders shook and tears began to fall from her eyes.

"Her... counterpart?" Ike asked.

"Her dearest friend. She might have stayed with Marth and I, I would have invited her to, but she went back to try and bring him with her, try to redeem him from being a controller like she was."

"Oh," said Ike, looking sobered.

"Sael, come back with me," said Roy. "You can stay with us." He held out a hand and carefully helped her to her feet from where she had sat down.

"I don't know what I did wrong," she said. "I remember now. He looking like he was starting to be like me, to feel, to understand, but then he suddenly got this faraway look in his eyes... unfocussed, like he was being controlled, then he hit me." She sobbed again, then wiped her eyes. "I don't know how to save him, if that didn't work."

"Maybe there's a catch in the spell," said Roy. "You said the Master Hand created you, right?"

"Mmhmm," Sael agreed.

"Well, maybe, I dunno, maybe your spell malfunctioned or you would have done the same thing, gone all weird and attacked us."

"But... how do I find him and redeem him if he does that?" She asked.

"All we need is to do it stealthily," said Roy, a coaxing smile on his face. "We need to slip past the safety catch in the spell and get him feeling, unaware, like you. Maybe tears have something to do with it. Regret, perhaps?"

"Maybe..." she said, her eyes once again filling with hope.

"Come on," said Roy. "Come back with me, and we'll find a way to save him." Roy turned to Ike. "You can come back with us if you like."

"Are you, by any chance, Samus and Peach's friend?" Ike asked.

"That's right," said Roy. "And you're the one who helped them, right?"

"Yeah," said Ike.

"So come back with us. I think some of the others know you too," said Roy.

"Sure," said Ike. The trio walked out of the forest together, Ike and Roy keeping their pace slow so Sael, limping, could keep up.

They returned to the camp. Samus and Peach ran over to greet Ike, and Marth walked over to see what the disturbance was. When he saw Sael's bandaged ankle, he looked at Roy.

"Her counterpart attacked her," Roy explained. The words made Sael look down again. Peach came over.

"Are you alright?" she asked Sael. "...Sael?"

"I don't know..." Sael said. "My ankle is feeling better, but I feel like something's hurting right... here..." she put her hands over her heart. Peach could tell she was trying to say she felt heartbroken.

"Come sit down with me," Peach said. Sael followed her to a blanket she had laid out. "Who attacked you?" she asked.

"My counterpart," said Sael.

"Who?"

"He's like a boy version of what I am, which is a creation of the Master Hand to control and hurt people and to run the stadium. But I promised I wouldn't hurt anyone else, and I went back to try to show him there's more to life than just fighting. But he attacked me and broke my ankle." Tears pricked her eyes.

"You really like him, don't you?" said Peach.

"He is my friend. He has been my only friend since we were created."

"But," said Peach, "Is he friend, or more?"

Sael looked confusedly at Peach. "What more?"

Peach thought about how to describe it. "look over there." she pointed to Link and Zelda, sitting very close together and talking. "Those two are in love. What I want to know is, do you feel for him like that, or like you would for a friend who was just a friend? Like, say... Roy, or Marth, or Ike, is your friend."

Sael looked long and hard at Zelda and Link. "Like that."

"So you love him," Peach said.

"What is that?" Sael asked.

"Well," said Peach, trying to describe what love felt like. "Well, it's... wanting him to never be hurt. When you feel someone's pain as if it was your own. When you are happy every second you are close to the person, when you want to be at his side forever. When you think of them with sadness when they're gone, like a hole in your heart. When you want to..." Link and Zelda kissed, and Peach said, "When you want to kiss them. Like that."

"Love..." Sael said. "That is what it is? I don't want him to be treated like a machine like we were, like he is now. I couldn't hurt him. Even when he attacked, I couldn't fight back. Is that love too?"

"Yes," Peach said. "It is. Well, we can't let you two be split up, can we?" she smiled sweetly. "Love makes the world go 'round, after all. As soon as your ankle gets better, we'll have to find a way to save him."

"Love makes the world go 'round..." Sael said softly. The phrase made her smile. "Thank you. You are..."

"Peach," said Peach, smiling.

"You are my friend too," said Sael. "I am... lucky? Is that the word?"

"I think it is," Peach laughed.

—

"Ike," Marth greeted with a warm smile.

"Hey Marth. Been a while, hasn't it?" Ike still had the roll of bandages in his hands.

"Where'd you get those?" Marth asked, pointing at the roll of bandages.

Ike smiled fondly. "Mist put them in my bag when I wasn't looking."

"Ike..." Marth said. "Do you remember how we met?"

"The war," Ike said. "We were the last two left... we fought each other to a standstill."

"The last ones." Marth's voice dropped to almost a whisper. "We yelled at each other in anger for all we'd lost. I'd lost... my parents and my friends. Who did you lose, Ike?"

Ike scrunched up his forehead in thought. "I lost... my father..." his eyes widened. "My team. My sis."

"She's dead, Ike," Marth said. "I saw. So did you."

"Hey, Marth," Ike said, looking thoughtful. "Is the war as blurry a memory to you as it is to me?"

Marth put his head to one side. "I... I think so... I used to have such a clear memory, knowing exactly who died, but... now I don't quite remember..."

Ike looked over at the Roy, where he sat talking to Sael. "Do... do you remember if Roy was in the war?"

"Huh? Roy?" Marth looked over. "I remember talking to him beforehand. Yes... yes he was..."

The two looked at each other, horror growing in their eyes. "Roy... _died_," Ike said.

"So did Mist..." Marth replied. They were both whispering now.

"And I saw Mist just a few days ago," Ike said.

"And..." Marth looked over at Roy. "How..."

"What the hell is going on here?" Ike asked.

"Hey, Roy!" Marth called.

Roy looked up, walked over. "What's up?"

"Remember that huge battle we were in, when you were staying with my family?"

Roy concentrated hard. "I... think so..." he said. "Yeah..."

"When does your memory end?" Marth asked.

"Someone..." Roy looked over at Ike. "Ike... attacked me. I fell unconscious... then I woke up in Smash Mansion with you telling me you'd found me in a coma shortly after you finished fighting Tabuu."

"Roy..." Ike said, "I... think I... _killed_ you..."

"I remember it too," Marth said. "The memory is growing clearer by the minute... Ike stabbed you through the stomach... for a split second, his sword was on fire..."

"Then it went out," Ike said. "Marth ran over to you... it was then that he vowed to kill me."

"I remember feeling cold..." Roy said, "and in pain..." Roy's eyes widened. "I... think I _died_."

Ike and Marth looked at Roy, fear in their eyes. Roy's expression was different. He was grinning.

"I don't believe it!" Roy said. "I died, and now I'm alive again!" He started laughing hysterically.

"What's so funny?" Ike asked.

"I have no clue!" Roy shouted. "I got resurrected, and I barely remember it!"

Sael walked over. "Why are you... laughing?"

"I _died_!" Roy said, still laughing.

Sael's eyes widened. "When?" She cried.

"Don't look so scared," Roy laughed. "It's not like I stayed dead." That increased his laughter even more, and he doubled over, trying desperately to catch his breath.

"Why is he laughing?" Ike whispered to Marth.

"That's Roy's reaction to extreme shock," Marth whispered back. "When he can't quite get his head around something, he finds it unbelievably funny."

Sael looked helplessly at Ike and Marth. Marth quickly explained. "Ike and I waged war on each other, shortly before we began the battle against Tabuu." Sael nodded.

"I know," she said. "I was able to watch what happened to all of you before I was brought into existance."

"Well," continued Marth, "All of our memories of it are very fuzzy, but all of us remember Roy dying. And yet, there he stands. Now, we're wondering if he actually died or not."

"He died," Sael said. "But do you know about Trophies?"

"Yes," said Marth. "We are trophies, aren't we?"

"That is correct," Sael said. "I have reason to believe my Counterpart and I are as well. Trophies are subject to the Master Hand and the Crazy Hand. If Trophies are killed, they can be brought back to life by the Hands. Some people in that war were true trophies, and some were not. Roy is a trophy, the sister of Ike is a trophy, and also certain members of Ike's Mercenary group. Crazy Hand likes Roy. So he brought Roy back. And when Ike escaped the Master Hand, he brought Ike's team back in order to make it easier for my counterpart and I to find Ike and bring him back. Your memories of the war became blurry in order to prevent you from going insane over a paradox you could not understand."

Roy continued to laugh. Roy's laugh was infectious, and soon all of them were smiling.

* * *

Review if you like, tell me how my rewrite's doing. ^.^


	17. Sanctuary

Hallos again! I added another scene, just to make sure it fit in with Smash Mind. Here we go!

This is one of my favourite chapters. ^^

* * *

Mewtwo came to. Strangely enough, he felt dry and warm, like there was sun on him. _Did I die...?_ he wondered as he opened his eyes. Mewtwo sat up, feeling pain shoot through his back as he did. _If I was dead, I doubt I'd be feeling pain._

And where he was didn't look like the afterlife. It was beautiful, but it seemed to be in the same swamp-turned-jungle he had fallen unconscious in. And he could even still see the waterfall. From this angle, he could see a large pond around it, leading to a little river which disappeared underground. Bright flowers perfumed the air, and there was a snug cabin and an airy tree house nearby.

Suddenly, a delicious scent reached his nose. He looked around to see a black-haired boy kneeling over a pot over a fire. The boy had light green eyes and was wearing loosely woven dark shorts and a light green shirt. His feet were bare. He was short and fairly slim, and looked about ten or eleven. He stirred the pot with a wooden spoon, then put some things that looked like dried fruits into it. He bent over it, sniffed it, then added a bit of a crumbled leaf in. He stirred a bit more. Then he smiled, poured some into a bowl, and tasted it. His smile grew, and he licked his lips. Then he looked up, stared at Mewtwo for a moment. He poured some soup into another wooden bowl and held it out to Mewtwo, along with a spoon. Mewtwo's stomach grumbled.

_Thank you,_ Mewtwo said.

The boy replied with mindspeech, which surprised Mewtwo. _You speak... but your mouth doesn't move!_ he thought.

_It's called Mindspeech,_ said Mewtwo. _I can't speak normally, but I'm a psychic, so I can do this._

_I can't speak either,_ said the boy, _but I sign usually. You're called... Mew-two?_ He formed the letters with his hands as he thought the name.

_That's right_, Mewtwo said.

_I'm Jin. Grandmother said you might wake up soon. You fell in the waterfall. She said you would be hungry, so I made some soup. Even though I had to used dried fruit 'cause Takimi didn't come back with the berries. Have some!_

Mewtwo used his psychic power to move the soup over to him. _I have paws. I can't hold things like humans_, said Mewtwo, in response to Jin's confused look. _So I use psychic power as my hands._

_Oh,_ said Jin. He smiled and took a bowl of soup, got to his feet._ I've got to go tell Grandmother that you're awake, and she probably wants some soup._

_Wait,_ said Mewtwo. Jin paused. _A little pink creature... she was with me. She sings a lot, and is called Jigglypuff. She doesn't speak except her name. Do you know where she is?_

_Yes,_ said Jin. _She's taking a bath in the lake. She got better faster than you. She's the one who told us you were in the waterfall. Then Lucario rescued you._

_Thank you,_ said Mewtwo. Jin nodded and walked away, carefully carrying the bowl of soup so as not to spill it.

Mewtwo ate some of the soup. It was very filling, with a sweet, natural taste. Once he was finished, he floated over to the pond, where Jigglypuff was swimming. She sang a jubilant note, jumped out of the water, and ran over to Mewtwo. She jumped up on his shoulders and bombarded him with questions. Was he okay? Did he get any food? Had Lucario and the Grandmother gotten there in time? Did he want to come swimming?

Mewtwo smiled slightly at her exuberance. _I'm well, Jigglypuff. It's good you recovered quickly. Yes, I got some soup. No, I don't want to go swimming, but if you like it, go ahead._ Jigglypuff happily dove back into the water, then popped up and paddled in a little circle. Mewtwo sat on the bank and let his legs hang into the cool water with its gentle ripples. He looked around.

The place he was in seemed like a paradise. There were creatures of all types here, some bandaged or limping, some whole. A large blue and black creature swam laps of the pond. A million and one birds flew about the place, and the water was full of fish. Some trees hung with fruit, others were in flower.

An old woman, grey-haired, wrinkled, and dark eyed, walked over, following Jin. Though she was small and old, she seemed strong. She wore a woven wrap, dyed in purples and greens.

"Ah," she said, "I see you're awake." She smiled. "Did you get some soup?"

_Yes,_ he said.

"Ah, so that's how Jin spoke to you," she said. "I doubted you could speak regularly, and your paws didn't look capable of signing. So, how did you two come to be plunging into our waterfall, anyway?"

_We came looking for a key,_ said Mewtwo. _Jigglypuff was knocked off my back by a bird. I flew down to try and rescue her, then we were attacked by a bigger one. I was attacked by the small bird while dodging the larger one._

"Ah, that's how you came to have that wound in your back," the old woman said. "It needed quite a few stitches. Good thing Lucario was there in time, or you'd have probably drowned."

_Who is Lucario?_ Mewtwo asked.

"Oh, you never met him, did you?" the old woman asked. "Lucario!" she called.

The black and blue creature who was swimming in the lake swam over and pulled himself out of the water. He was bipedal, like Mewtwo, with two grey spikes on his hands. He seemed to be fairly fox-like, and looked to be a Pokemon. He sent him a psychic message, a wordless greeting.

"This is Lucario," said the old lady. "He's the one who rescued you."

_Thank you,_ Mewtwo thought to him.

_No problem_, Lucario replied, partially in words and partially in feeling. He sent Mewtwo a psychic version of a smile, and his thin lips twitched into one. Mewtwo responded with the like.

"Where's Takimi?" the Grandmother asked Jin. He responded with a flurry of hand signs. "Takimi... is... in the woods... looking for... berries?" the old lady translated. "She's still looking for berries? What did you use for soup?" Jin hand signed again. "Dried... fruits? Oh, that silly Takimi. She's probably lost again. Lucario, will you go look for her?"

Lucario nodded. He cocked his head slightly at Mewtwo, sent a feeling of invitation, adding in words, _come along?_

_Gladly,_ Mewtwo said.

The Grandmother, seeming to hear the two, put in, "Don't injure yourself. That wound will take a few days to heal. I've sent a messenger to your friends telling them you'll be staying with us a couple of days. She's trustworthy, she'll follow your scent backwards and give the letter to your friends. It's good to move, you'll heal faster, but not too fast or hard." She turned to Lucario. "Don't push him, Lucario." Lucario nodded, and he led the way through part of the forest.

Soon, they came upon an orchard of trees and bushes all covered with berries. The area was drenched with sunlight, and the berries looked ripe and plump. They were blue, purple, red, and as many other colours as Mewtwo could name and several he couldn't. All looked delicious. Mewtwo glided through the orchard after Lucario's easy pace.

Suddenly, Lucario stopped. He pointed with one paw. Mewtwo looked in the direction Lucario indicated, and the two saw what Mewtwo assumed could only be Takimi.

She was wearing a green, loose-woven skirt and a top like it. Her cheeks were pink with sun. She had a crown of yellow flowers in her brown hair, and she danced with her eyes closed among the trees. There was a dreamy smile on her face as she twirled, bringing one foot level with her waist. Mewtwo doubted she even knew they were there.

Lucario walked over, and Takimi opened her eyes and looked at him. She made a flurry of signs with her hands, and Lucario nodded. She turned and saw Mewtwo, and she waved and smiled.

_You're Takimi?_ Mewtwo said.

_Yes. So that's how you... talk, yes?_ She said. Your _paws can't sign, so I... assumed, yes? Assumed you talked like Lucario. You're the one who fell into the waterfall._ She looked down at Mewtwo's feet. _You're... flying._

_Levitating, actually,_ Mewtwo corrected. _It's flying without wings._

_Oh,_ said Takimi. _Lev-it-ta-ting. She slowly signed out the word, smiled, and continued. Lucario says Grandmother's been looking for me. I guess I... lost track of time? I have some berries._ She picked up a basket full of plump red berries. _You talk like Lucario, but you use more words than he does._

_I was exposed to words from the second I was made,_ said Mewtwo. _I was... programmed, I suppose, to know them._

_Programmed? Made?_ Takimi asked.

_That's right,_ said Mewtwo._ I was created, cloned, not born naturally._

_Oh,_ said Takimi. _Oh well, you're... here now, yes? That is good._

Her words, simple but true, made Mewtwo smile. _We should be going back,_ he said. _Your grandmother was worried about you._

_Ok,_ said Takimi. Lucario turned away to walk back, and Takimi followed. Mewtwo followed them through the bright, beautiful place.

_It's so peaceful here,_ Mewtwo thought. He could see why so many wounded animals were drawn to this place.

When they returned, the Grandmother took another look at Mewtwo's wound. "It will be fine in a few days," she said. "You're a fast healer." Mewtwo wasn't particularly surprised, he had always healed fast. He held still while the Grandmother removed the bandage and replaced it with a fresh one.

That night, Mewtwo lay on a bed of leaves under the stars and trees. The Grandmother and Jin and Takimi had gone to sleep, but Mewtwo could not sleep. Suddenly he heard shuddering breaths, like someone crying without making noise.

Mewtwo rose from where he lay. He followed his ears to the tree house in which Takimi and Jin slept. Takimi was tossing and turning, and tears ran down her face. Jin knelt by her, preventing her from falling out of the tree house. He looked up with a desperate look. Mewtwo linked his mind gently with Takimi to see twisted, faint images and a lack of colour, emotion. _She's having a nightmare,_ Mewtwo told Jin.

_I will ... run and get Grandmother?_ Jin said.

_I'm sure she'll be alright._ Mewtwo reached into her dream and tried to find what was troubling her. But... it didn't seem like a dream, and it didn't come from the part of her mind dreams come from. _That's odd..._ He knew it wasn't a very good idea to wake her up, with this odd dream pathway, it might injure her he surfaced from Takimi's dream, Jin was gone. Takimi continued to toss and turn, continued to cry.

Lucario mounted the ladder of the tree house. He looked at Mewtwo, then at Takimi. He knelt by Takimi's head, and his eyes glowed blue. Mewtwo sensed Lucario trying to enter Takimi's dream, and guessed his intention was to protect Takimi from her dream-deamons. But, for some reason, though that was the simplest of psychic activities, it didn't work.

_It is a dream, but not a dream..._ Lucario said to Mewtwo. Jin entered the tree house with the Grandmother. Jin immediately dropped beside Takimi and held her hands.

"Oh, dear," the Grandmother said.

Takimi's eyes suddenly shot open. She had a strange look in her eyes, but it faded quickly. She signed something with her hands. Jin hugged Takimi, and she buried her face in his nightshirt.

"You... had a bad dream, Takimi?" the Grandmother asked.

_It wasn't a dream_, Mewtwo said. _It came from a pathway more like forced recall of a memory than a dream._

The Grandmother sighed. "Oh, Takimi. I hope your past doesn't trouble you."

_Past?_ Mewtwo asked. _Were they not born here?_

"No," said the Grandmother, as Takimi lay back down to sleep, Jin holding her hand. "You see, Jin and Takimi aren't really my grandchildren. They're not even related. You see, four years ago, I saw Jin and Takimi running for their lives along with a young woman. They were running from another woman, who was casting a spell. The young woman they were running with tried to block the spell, and fired one of her own. The pursuer left, but first she spoke some soft words and her hands glowed.

"The other three came to me. The young woman told me her name was Hoshi. She told me about Jin and Takimi. Takimi was her own daughter, Jin was the son of her best friend. They were being hurt by an old comrade of hers. She said she took them and ran, but was pursued by the woman who had been hurting them. She was wounded, so I helped her to heal for a few days. We found out that the spell cast on Takimi and Jin, who were six and seven respectively then, had made them forget their pasts and lose their voices. As Hoshi healed, they grew to love my little corner of creation. So when it came time for Hoshi to leave, she asked me if I would care for them for her. I agreed, because I already loved them like my own. I think they've mostly forgotten Hoshi, but sometimes they still speak of her."

_Oh,_ said Mewtwo. _I believe that dream she was having, in that case, must have come from what went on before._

"It makes sense," said the Grandmother. "But now, Takimi and Jin are asleep, and all seems well. Lucario will stay with them for tonight. You can go back to sleep, you need rest to heal."

Mewtwo went back to his bed. For a long time, he stared at the stars, sleepless. Jigglypuff walked over and asked him what was wrong. _It is nothing. I just can't sleep,_ he told her.

She sat down beside him and began to sing a soft melody. A gentle lullaby, sweet and pure. There were no words, since Jigglypuff couldn't form them, but it was wonderfully calming. Mewtwo soon found himself drifting off to sleep.

The next day went by, natural, easy, relaxing. Another calm day, and another, and the days developed a rhythm. Mewtwo woke, washed in the lake, went with Takimi to pick berries. With Mewtwo to keep the slightly scatter-brained Takimi on track, they always came back in time for Jin to make soup or some other delicacy with the berries. As Mewtwo got better, he began to have small contests with Lucario. He figured out that Lucario couldn't levitate, but he could jump high and was a very good swimmer. Any pain Mewtwo had felt in his back on the first day faded quickly, as he got better, and even grew stronger by duelling and competing with Lucario. Jigglypuff sang a lot, around camp she crooned baby animals to sleep, and sang for Takimi and Jin. The days were peaceful, and Mewtwo and Jigglypuff were happy.

Suddenly, one afternoon, Mewtwo remembered why he had come here. He and Jigglypuff were looking for a key, so he and his friends could go through a door and find the Master Hand.

_Remember, Jigglypuff? We needed to find that key and go back. Yes, it is nice here. Jigglypuff,_ he said, _if you want to stay, you can. I'm sure Takimi and Jin and the Grandmother will be glad to have you. No one would stop you. _

She spoke mind-to-mind with Mewtwo, instead of using her own language, for the first time._ Not without you_. Mewtwo felt a warmth from her words. She cared about him.

_Let's go talk to the Grandmother. Perhaps she will know of the Key we need._

When they went to talk with her, the Grandmother replied, "Oh, a key? Yes, we have that. Takimi wears it around her neck. You just need to ask her for it. I think she's in the orchard with Jin."

Mewtwo, with Jigglypuff on his shoulders to the orchard. There were Jin and Takimi's footprints all over it, but no Jin or Takimi. _Jin! Takimi!_ Mewtwo called. He had a bad feeling about this. Where were those two?

Suddenly, he felt a faint snatch of feeling. Terror. Coming from... _that way,_ Mewtwo thought. _Hold on, Jigglypuff._ He shot toward the feeling. One of the two children was scared.

Lucario caught up with Mewtwo. The two of them blazed like comets with blue psychic power as they moved as fast as it was possible for them. Mewtwo used the last of his psychic capacity. He blasted past Lucario and raced into a cave._ I can fly. I'm faster than you in the air_, he said to Lucario. _Catch up, and if I'm caught off guard, you can throw them off, surprise them._ Lucario sent him an affirmative feeling as Mewtwo disappeared into the cave.

Jin and Takimi were leaning against the wall, knocked out. A young man with black hair and dark skin, wearing a black shirt and pants, was bending over them, strapping something on Takimi's back. Then he pressed a button on a machine in his hand, and she woke up, but her eyes were unfocussed. She stood clumsily, with none of her usual grace.

_Takimi!_ thought Mewtwo._ When has this happened before... to Marth! When Roy was describing what... Sael, I think, did to Marth, Roy said his eyes were unfocussed and he didn't recognise him. He's controlling her, and is now probably either going to use her as a shield or make her attack. This is probably the 'counterpart' Roy said 'Sael' spoke of._ At that moment, the young man turned to him and Jigglypuff. He pressed a button, and Takimi ran smoothly toward them. She had a blade on her shoe. _No_, Mewtwo thought. _Not a child. These people disgust me. They're like..._

"Like you were," the man said, cruelly bringing up Mewtwo's memories of his evil days. He had used everyone, made innocent Pokemon fight each other... to the _death_... As he dodged Takimi's slash, he felt terrible.

_No! No!_ Jigglypuff thought to him, mind-speaking again. _You're not evil! You were angry and hurt! You realized it was wrong, remember?_

_I did..._ Mewtwo thought, dodging a second attack. Jigglypuff's words brought up new memories. After that, he had found paradise for him and the other modified Pokemon. He had brought all the Pokemon who were mistreated and protected them from humans. He had almost died for them, done everything he could to keep them safe.

Jigglypuff added, _and I was one of them, remember? You sheltered me, all of us. You're good!_

Mewtwo expanded his voice so the man could hear them. _And what I have done in the past is a sin I will repent for - am repenting for. You, however, still do these terrible things._ He reached his mind for Takimi, floating up above her reach. Takimi's mind was trapped, she didn't know how to stop herself from doing this. He saw Lucario run in and pick up Jin, carry him to a corner, and stand over him, keeping guard. Jin sat up and stared at her. He signed her name again and again. 'Takimi, Takimi, Takimi'.

_Takimi,_ Mewtwo thought. _Takimi._

_What am I doing? I can't... control myself! Aaah, Mewtwo, watch out!_ Mewtwo dodged out of the way as Takimi made a leap up toward him, shoe blade slashing the air.

_She is my friend,_ Mewtwo thought. _When I was evil, I had no friends. Now, I have Jigglypuff, and the others from the Smash Mansion, I have Takimi and Jin. I will not hurt those who are my friends._

Jin raced past Lucario, running up to Takimi. He signed her name. 'Takimi, Takimi, Takimi! No! Not again!' he signed. But she smoothly kicked up a foot.

Lucario shoved Jin out of the way of Takimi's weapon. Mewtwo saw blood as Lucario's leg was slashed. Jin was shoved next to the wall. Lucario stood in front of him, but then fell to one knee, clutching his bleeding leg.

Mewtwo flung out his paws, summoning his psychic power. He gathered it in palpable waves around Takimi, immobilising her. She froze, her face still blank. _Takimi, I'm going to try to free you from this_, Mewtwo reassured her. _Don't worry, you'll be alright._

_Thank you, and I'm sorry,_ Takimi thought to him. Then she was overcome by despair. _Lucario, Lucario, oh, I hurt Lucario_...

Lucario entered the mental link. He sent waves of comfort at Takimi. _It's not you_, he told her. _You are not doing harm. It is him that is guilty._

_That's right,_ said Mewtwo. _Takimi, the more you despair, the more you are afraid, the more power this has over you. That is the way control like this works. Trust me, I used it once. It feeds off of your fear. You aren't helpless, and you never will be._ He focussed on the machine, weakening its hold as much as he 's eyes suddenly cleared. She threw back her shoulders, resisting the control of the machine and Mewtwo's weakened waves. She crouched down and threw herself backwards. The machine creaked. She fought, but could not quite detach the machine on her own.

Jin shoved his way past the bleeding Lucario again. He ran to Takimi, threw his arms around her. He held her close, pinning her arms against her sides. She struggled, falling again under the control of the machine, but Jin held on. His hands found the machine and he began to pry it off of her. After a few agonizing seconds, it dropped to the ground. Takimi shuddered and fell. Jin caught her and held her up, pressing his cheek against her head as he clasped her close.

Lucario got to his feet, heedless of his wound, heedless of the blood dripping down his leg. A dark fury was in his eyes. His hands glowed with blue fire. He stepped toward the young man. Mewtwo glided forward as well, charging a psychic attack.

_You hurt Takimi and Jin,_ Lucario said, each word burning with anger. _You scared them and took them away. You will pay for that._

_You controlled and made people hurt each other. That is wrong,_ Mewtwo added. _All who try to do it will learn that eventually. Will you learn it yourself, or will we have to teach you?_

Jigglypuff, who had been comforting Takimi and Jin, turned. With an angry cry that Mewtwo didn't really want to translate, she charged up her favourite spinning attack and went flying at the man. She hit him straight on, and he was sent flying into the wall. Lucario hit him with a blazing fist, and he smashed into the wall again. Mewtwo added a psychic blast, knocking the young man out.

Suddenly, they heard a gasp. Someone dropped down from the ceiling. It was a girl, blonde and brown-eyed. The three charged up their attacks again, but she held up a hand. "I'm not coming to hurt you," she said, "Or anyone else. I want to save him." She pointed at the young man. "He is my counterpart. I'm trying to show him what Marth and Roy showed me." She paused, looking at the floor of the cave.

_How do you know Marth and Roy?_ Mewtwo demanded._ And why do you want to save him? He is evil. He used a child and made her hurt those dearest to her_.

"That's why I want to save him. Marth and Roy saved me from an eternity of controlling and not knowing. I don't want my counterpart to be left behind." She reached down and picked him up. She staggered slightly, having a hard time holding up the young man, who was much bigger than she was. When she had regained her balance, she turned to them again. "Thank you for sparing him," she said. "I know he's done bad things. I am sure, somewhere inside, he is sorry, but I don't know if he knows how to be." she turned away and walked slowly into the cave systems. As she disappeared into the caves, they heard her say, "Why? Why can't you see..."

They went back after that. Jin and Takimi sat very close together, holding tight to each other. Lucario lay stretched out, unconscious, and the Grandmother stitched his wound. Mewtwo was mentally linked with Lucario, dulling the pain and making sure he stayed unconscious until the Grandmother was done. Jigglypuff sat on Jin's lap, singing a soft song to him and Takimi.

"Done," said the Grandmother. "Let him sleep for a while, and he'll be right as rain. Thank you, Mewtwo."

_You're welcome,_ said Mewtwo. _Jigglypuff and I need to go soon. We do, after all, have an uprising to be part of._

"You'll always have a place here," said the Grandmother, "if you ever feel the need to come back. Jin and Takimi will always be happy to see you, and Lucario and I, as well. Takimi, may I have the key around your neck?"

Takimi nodded, pulled off her necklace, and handed it to the Grandmother, who gave it to Mewtwo. _Thank you,_ said Mewtwo. _Thank you for your kindness._

"Thank you," said the Grandmother. "If you ever need help..."

_We'll remember that. Thank you,_ said Mewtwo. _Tell Lucario risking himself was very brave of him, and to take good care of Takimi and Jin, and of himself._

"I will," said the Grandmother. "He admires you, you know, for how you protect the people close to you."

_He does it as much as I ever could,_ Mewtwo replied, surprised. _Takimi and Jin are lucky to have a friend like him. Mewtwo paused. Before we go... when did you meet Lucario?_

The Grandmother smiled fondly. "Quite a few years ago, an older Lucario came here. He explained to me that he was going on a journey to find strength with a psychic master, and that he needed to leave his son somewhere safe. I offered to care for his son. So the older Lucario left, and the little one stayed here. The little one grew fast." She waved her hand at the sleeping Lucario. "This is the little one. He's very close to full grown now. About a year ago, he told me he felt his father dying."

Mewtwo thought. _Did the older Lucario say who he was going to seek strength from?_

The Grandmother put her head to one side. "Yes," she said. "I believe he did. He was going to look for... a psychic master Pokemon, the only one ever to gain complete control over the power inside."

Mewtwo felt his eyes widen. That had been him. He remembered fighting that Lucario. That Lucario... had beaten him, and was there when the others had fought Tabuu. _Grandmother,_ Mewtwo thought, _Please tell Lucario that his father was very powerful, very smart, and very brave, one of the few people or Pokemon that I have ever admired. Tell him he is also among that number._

The Grandmother smiled. "I will," she said. "You were the master he was looking for, weren't you? I can see how strong you are. And yet, I have only seen you use your power, besides levitation, once."

_I don't use my power to hurt anymore,_ Mewtwo replied. _Only to protect._

It wasn't long before Mewtwo and Jigglypuff were on their way. After hugs for both him and Jigglypuff from Jin and Takimi, after a solemn goodbye and a gift of a healing potion from the Grandmother, Mewtwo flew up the waterfall, Jigglypuff holding onto him again.

_And so, back to the war,_ Mewtwo thought. Jigglypuff sang softly as he soared toward the portal.

* * *

There we go! Continuity! ^^

(is that spelled right...?)

Review if you like the changes I'm making!


	18. Fears

And so, we continue! I haven't made many changes to this one.

* * *

He opened his eyes. When he had been defeated, he had never expected to open his eyes again. He had fully expected to be killed, wiped out of existence by the angry psychic creatures. What had happened?

He saw her sitting beside him, looking down with concern. His wounds were bandaged, and he lay on a bed of leaves. He felt less sore than he had expected to be.

"Hello, counterpart," she said. "Are you feeling better?"

"I am," he said, surprised. Suddenly, a memory popped into his head.

__

He was unable to control himself. He shot out a fist, and she crumpled to the ground. He hit her, punched her, blind with fury, confused. She was unconscious. He stepped on her ankle and ran away as someone came into the clearing.

"I hurt you," he said, "didn't I? I did that to you." he pointed at her ankle, still in a bandage.

"Yes," she said, sounding sad.

Suddenly, he realized something. He had been about to be killed, and he had broken her ankle, he had hurt her... and she had saved his life. She had put herself in danger to rescue him, he who had hurt her and would have killed her. But she came back and saved his life.

"You saved me," he said. "Even though I hurt you."

"If Roy and Marth can 'forgive', so can I," she said. "I forgive you."

"Forgive?" he asked. "What is that?"

"Not being angry anymore. Roy says it's accepting that something has already happened, and there's nothing you can do to change it. Accepting that people can... change if you give them the chance."

"Forgive..." he said.

"Yes," she said. "But sometimes people need time to forgive, like Marth. The other people might not forgive you. But will you come to say sorry to them?"

"Sorry?" he asked.

"Yes," she said. "Saying you want to have not done it, you know it was wrong of you to do it. Saying you can't fix it, but you will try to make it better."

"I need to say 'sorry' to the Master Hand because I failed?" he asked.

"No, no!" she said. "He is not good. He needs to say sorry, too!"

"To who?" he asked again.

"The little girl," she said. "The one you controlled. She was angry and frightened, and she is just a child. And the little boy, because hurting her made him hurt too. And the blue creature you made the girl hurt, and the psychic creature you taunted. On his face I could see he was sad. He is sorry, too, for something, and I think you reminded him of what he was sorry he did and doesn't want to remember."

"Why do I say 'sorry' to them?" he asked. "They are enemies. I do not owe to them."

"You don't owe to them? You owe to no one, counterpart. Nobody orders your life but you if you want it that way. And you owe them because you hurt them. That is what Roy and Peach told me."

"It was my mission."

"No!" she said, frustrated. "The mission is bad! The people we're sent to control, they hurt, they cry, they bleed like we do! The Master Hand and the other bad people are trying to make them bleed more. They do what we do, and it makes the good people, the _heroes,_ Roy says they are, sad and hurt."

"Her-oes?"

"Roy says they're people who do good things because it's right. They're people who... only hurt when they have to. They help people who can't do it themselves. Roy says... Roy says I could be hero, you could be hero... he says even bad people can change and become hero."

"We do what Master Hand tells us. We are good. They disobey him. That is bad, isn't it?"

"No! No! No!" she said. "Master Hand is bad! He hurts! The missions are bad! The battling is bad! Please, counterpart! Listen! We have been... deceived! They are more like us than he is! He hurts them, makes them bleed. We need to help them so they can stop him from making them bleed, from making us bleed! We are more than what he says! They say we are... people! We have hearts! We are not nameless 'operators' without feelings! We feel too! I feel."

As she spoke, he grew more and more confused. What was she saying? It dawned in his mind that she was saying strange, bad things. But then... she had saved him. How could she be bad? She could not be lying to him. But... this was not what he had been told. This was completely opposite from who... what they served. They were enchantments, nothing more. Right?

He began to grow wary of this new Counterpart. She was not the one he had known. And yet, some of what she said had sounded strangely... right. He got to his feet, decision made.

She watched as he got to his feet. What would he do? He seemed so close to understanding... something was in his eyes that was different from what he usually was. Like she had been when she didn't understand anymore, when it was all so different. 'Afraid', Roy had called it. 'fear'. She held out a hand, wanting to be comforting to him like Peach had been to her. "Come," she said. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. Come with me and see for yourself!"

With silent shock and dismay, she watched as he turned and ran. Tears pricked her eyes again. He was running. The fear was not of his new life, of the new feelings. He was afraid of her.

The tears fell to the floor of the forest.

* * *

Sael :'(

Hey... um, is anyone reading this rewrite? I'd just like to know... if you are, tell me, please!


	19. You Should Have Told Me

I've noticed the sutle changes are the best, they make the story flow more easily. I'm trying to add more description, and I think it's working.

* * *

This tunnel was the longest of all. Link tired of darkness by the time an hour passed. He could barely see anything, and the ground was rough and uneven. Marth walked in front, sword glowing, with Roy guiding his arm. Occasionally Marth would stumble over an unseen protrusion and the sword-light would flicker. Link looked over at Zelda, who walked beside him. She was oddly silent and wore an obstinate expression. Her purple eye now had a red pupil. Navi noticed Link's scrutiny.

_She's arguing with the Dark creature,_ said Navi. _C'mon Zelda!_

Link used his mental link with Navi to speak to her alone. _I never heard about that..._ he said, raising an eyebrow at the little fairy.

_Um... oops..._ Navi said. She muttered something vaguely and started to flutter away, but Link caught her gently in two fingers.

_Why didn't I hear about this before?_ he asked her, holding her up to his eye level.

_Darn it,_ Navi tinkled quietly. _Me and my big mouth. She told me not to tell you. She said she didn't want to worry you, that she could handle it by herself._

Link sighed and looked down. Zelda had hidden it from him. Why couldn't she just tell him? She was so independent, so bruised by being ignored for so long. She had been locked away in the princess persona for so long, that she learned to rely only on herself, to show who she was only in the guise of Sheik. Her heart had been locked away, and even her father had thought of her as the demure, gentle, passive princess she had pretended to be. That's why, Link realized, the King had hated Link so much. Around Link, even then, Zelda had shown little bits of who she really was. The Zelda who stood up for herself, who could fight with the best of them - her father had thought it unseemly for her to be what Link so loved. And even though she had come out of her shell, still she hid her problems.

"Zelda," he said, looking at her. He was going to get it all out of her, and maybe he could help her.

Her eyes were glazed over, and her blue one was turning purple now. "Zelda! Zel!" he said, trying to shake her out of it.

She snapped to. "Link!" she said. "Run - please." The Zelda he loved faded out of her eyes as the dark colour spread along her arms and legs.

_WATCH OUT!_ Navi screamed. But none but Link and Zelda understood her words, and Zelda was already disappearing under the influence of this 'Dark Zelda'. She raised her arms and magic sparkled on the ends of them.

"Marth!" Link shouted, as a ball of red fire shot toward their temporarily blinded leader. Roy saw the fire and yanked him out of the way.

"Marth," Roy said, "There's a bit of a problem. Zelda's gone nuts!"

"What?" Marth said, not letting the light of his sword go out. "What do you mean, nuts?"

"She's gone all purple and just attacked you."

"Oh, gods."

"No!" Link shouted, as Zelda whipped around, using magic in a terrible mockery of her Nyru's love. "Zel, please!"

_Jigglypuff, Pikachu, Pichu, Popo, Nana, get back!_ Mewtwo said, shielding the little children and young Pokemon from the magic with his psychic power. _Behind me._ The young ones obeyed, knowing Zelda was stronger than them, and that Mewtwo was someone to be listened to.

"Everyone get back!" shouted Link. "I know how to fix this!" he rifled through his backpack. Where were they... he pulled out one flask of the Sacred Water from the temple. "Can you pin her down?"

"I can try," said Roy. "Marth, stay _right there_." Marth nodded, and Roy let go of his arm.

Roy ran at Zelda, tackling her. She landed on the floor, struggled. She held up a hand to use magic, but Roy pushed it to the ground.

"Link! Quick!" he said. Link knelt by Zelda's head and pinched her nose. When she opened her mouth to breathe, he poured the flask of water down her throat. She began to shake, rock in place. Roy quickly got out of the way, and Link held on tight as the purple again faded from her skin.

Roy walked over and pulled Marth, who had sat down, to his feet. "It's solved," he said. "Link made her drink something from a flask and now she's back to normal."

"Good," said Marth, still unable to see.

"Zelda," Link said, holding her close. "Zel, it's ok."

She opened her eyes. "Oh, no..." she said. "I... did it again, didn't I?" at Link's slow nod, her tense muscles relaxed in a sigh, and tears came to her eyes. "Who did I hurt this time?"

"No one," Link said. "It's ok, Zel..."

She buried her head in his shoulder. "Zelda," Link said softly, "why didn't you tell me it was still bothering you?"

"I thought I could handle it," Zelda said. "I guess I wasn't strong enough."

"Zelda," said Link. "No one should have to handle something like that by themselves! It's not your fault. You should have told me. I could have helped."

"I'm sorry," Zelda said.

"No, I am," said Link. "I looked at you and didn't see the signs. I should have figured out something was wrong. I'm sorry." He helped her to her feet. "Can you walk?"

"Yes," said Zelda. But as she got up, her legs shook. Link put an arm around her and held her up.

"I've got you," he said. "It's ok, Zelda."

Zelda looked around. "I'm sorry," she said to all of them. Suddenly they heard little sobs. Nana was peeking out from behind Mewtwo, crying.

"Oh, no," said Zelda, sure it was her who had made the little girl cry. Nana ran out from behind Mewtwo. Zelda crouched down and hugged her. "I'm so sorry," she said.

"Not you," said Nana. "The purple person isn't you. You'd never attack us."

"I'm so sorry," said Zelda again. She picked up the little girl, who cuddled against her. She looked up at the others, despair in her eyes.

"It's alright, Zelda," Roy said. "It's not your fault, being turned dark like that. It's whoever did it to you's fault."

_Many of us have hurt before,_ said Mewtwo gravely, _and are in no position to blame you._

"It's not like you wanted to," put in another voice, seemingly awkward with words of comfort. The group looked over to see that it was Ganondorf who had spoken. He got quite a few odd looks for it. "What?" he said.

"Thank you," said Zelda. "Thank you all."

"We should go," said Marth.

"Yes," said Zelda. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," said Link. "It's that creature that should be sorry. It should be very glad, at this moment, that it is dead, because if it wasn't, I'd hunt it down and remedy that. Painfully." Zelda had to laugh. She leaned against him as they continued to walk.

* * *

Poor Zel... :'(


	20. Time

I've combined a couple of chapters here, because I did too much useless cliffhangering in this mini-arc.

* * *

Yet another door. It was almost tiring. Another tunnel, another doorway, another long, long wait, another story, then it all started again, with maybe a Wire Frame or two to break up the monotony. Ike, admittedly, broke it for a while, and he was someone new to talk to while they waited a week for that girl, Sil or whatever her name was, to heal and for Mewtwo and Jigglypuff to return. Fox almost wished the Master Hand would swoop down on them and attack. While he knew the tactical advantages to the element of surprise, he wanted to get this over with and go home. Wait... what was that?

"Fox," a slightly impatient voice said.

Fox was startled out of his thoughts. He looked to see the faces of him and Falco on the sign beside the door. Finally! It was his turn to have an adventure, and with one of his best friends along with him! He smiled.

Falco was standing in front of the door. "Guess it's our turn," he said.

"Guess it is," agreed Fox.

"Try to come back quickly," said Marth, "and come back in one piece."

"We will," Fox said.

Falco turned to his friend. "Ready to go?"

"You're on," said Fox. The two stepped through the portal.

Roy watched them as they disappeared. _Damn it, _he thought. _Now I have to wait even longer!_

Their surroundings was that of a ship... a spaceship. It was a sweet reminder for the two of the almost forgotten Star Fox. The technology, what they could see of it, looked familiar, but every screen and all the lights were dark.

"I had almost thought it would never happen again," said Fox, smiling openly. "I thought I'd never see a ship again."

"The power on this ship is next to nothing," said Falco, "or it's in stealth mode. It seems to me that there's no activity in anything but life support."

"Let's see if there's a crew," said Fox. "We might be able to get this key quicker than we thought."

The two set off down one of the hallways. They passed rows of small, closed doors which seemed to be the crew's quarters. Then they passed a couple of double doors.

"Research labs?" suggested Fox.

"Could be," agreed Falco. "But where are the scientists?"

"That's a point. And why haven't we seen or heard a single crew member? The Star Fox was always crawling with people."

"Could it be that the ship is deserted?" suggested Falco.

"Why?" Fox asked. "What could have made them desert in space?"

"I have no idea. But if we're going to search this place, the bridge would be a good place to start, and we might find a reason there," said Falco.

"To the bridge," agreed Fox.

By following the bigger hallways, the two reached the bridge in about five minutes of searching. When they walked in, Falco walked over to the computers and examined them. "Not a single one is running," he said. "This place is shut down. It was definitely abandoned. But why..."

"Falco," said Fox. "I know why this ship was abandoned."

Falco looked up from examining one of the computers. "Why?" he asked.

"Because of _that_."

"Oh, _fu_-"

"Falco."

The two stared, confused and shocked, at the thing before them. It wasn't very hard to tell what it was. Mostly the questions were _who_, _when,_ and _why_.

"That," said Falco, stating the obvious, "is a bomb."

"Yes it is," said Fox. "And if I can read that timer correctly, it is a bomb that is going to explode in about an hour and a half."

"Got a watch?" Falco asked.

"Yes," said Fox. He showed it to him.

"Good," said Falco. "So do I. Set your timer for an hour, and I'll do the same. We'll search for this key we need so badly, but if we don't have it by the time the timer goes we'll meet and get out of here."

"It's a plan," said Fox. "Lucky our watches double as walkie-talkies."

"Not luck," said Falco. "We were prepared. Now let's move. There are two hallways extending from the bridge. I'll take the one we haven't walked through, you go back down the first and check all the rooms."

"You sure you don't want me to take the unknown hallway?" Fox asked.

Falco snorted. "Sure," he said. "Steal all my fun."

"Fine," Fox said. He finished setting the alarm on his watch, and Falco set his own. "I'll search the bridge first."

"Right," said Falco. Fox immediately started searching the bridge, while Falco left down the hallway.

Falco looked down the hallway. He did not like the darkness of the ship. It put to mind emergencies and breakdowns and things like that. He might as well search the first room he came to first, he did only have an hour.

"Falco," Fox's voice came through his walkie-talkie/watch. "Answer me if this works."

"It works, Fox," Falco said, walking into the room. It looked like the mess hall or the cafeteria. Different people called it different things. But it had food in it. After a quick search, he found nothing but nibbled food packages. Nibbled, as if a mouse had chewed it. _But mice don't live in spaceships..._ Falco thought.

"Fox," said Falco, pressing the button for communication.

"Yeah?"

"Tell me if you see any things like mice. The food packages in here have been nibbled."

"Nibbled? Mice don't live in spaceships."

"I know that." Falco left the... food room and searched a couple of others. Bedrooms, nothing interesting. A few rooms down, he came upon a larger place. It seemed to be a meeting room, and it was completely and utterly empty. Chairs, table, and nothing else.

As he looked under the chairs, something... pink... shot out from under one of them. It ran around the room with blinding speed.

Falco whipped out his gun and pointed it at the little thing. But that didn't discourage it. It flung itself at him and he felt tiny teeth bite his arm. He pulled it off of him with one hand and dangled it in the air in front of him.

"Fox," said Falco into his watch, "Forget mice. This ship is inhabited, but not, I think, by its original inhabitants."

"What did you find, Falco?" Fox asked.

"It... sort of looks like a tiny, pink Game&Watch. It ran across the floor and bit me."

"It bit you? Do you think it's poisonous?"

"I doubt it. But I'll watch out for more of them."

"Good."

_A tiny, pink Game&Watch?_ Fox wondered as he looked through yet another crewman's bedroom. Empty, empty, empty. All he found was clothes and letters and diaries. All dated for the days previous. _So they must have abandoned sometime today or yesterday._

Fox saw a plain, silver square sitting on the desks. What could that be? He wondered. He looked at it for a second. Then he carefully stretched out a hand. He heard a click, and pulled his hand away.

A whir, and the thing expanded into a tiny projector. It whirred to life, and projected a hologram of a young woman. She had red hair pulled back in a severe bun. Her sole ornamentation was a gold necklace on a long chain. She was wearing a lab coat with a major's badge on it. So she could have been CEO of the ship, but was a scientist instead? Freak. No time to dwell on that, though, as she began to speak.

"Our ship has been beset by a strange organism. It is plaguing the ship, overcoming things due to sheer number instead of any sort of prowess. I have deduced by studying the creatures that they are not poisonous, and, alone, can do next to no harm. All they can really cause is a bit of a pinch when they bite." The hologram changed to show an image of what looked like a hollow, red stick person. It reminded him faintly of Game&Watch. It ran in a circle, then jumped up and tried to bite something. It fell back to the floor. "However," said the scientist's voice, as another one appeared, "If they are in groups, they develop what seems to be a hive mind. They act separately, but synchronize their movements to solve one goal." Three of the stick people appeared, and they stood on top of each other's shoulders, then moved in a complex attack pattern. "When in large groups they can be very dangerous. They also appear to multiply very quickly, and in a different way than that which is common to most organisms. There seems to only be one of the creatures needed to produce another in a matter of days. We believe one came aboard with the visitors we had about eight months ago, and now the ship is infested. Perhaps if we imprison them..." the hologram faded.

"Falco," Fox said. "I found a report on that thing. It's not poisonous, but they're dangerous in groups."

"Alright," said Falco. "I'll remember that. Can you get any more information on them?"

"We're looking for a key," Fox reminded him.

"But they might have it," said Falco.

"I'll see," said Fox. There was a green button on the disk-thing. Fox pushed it, and the hologram came back out.

"There are too many of them," said the scientist woman. "Cheesy as though that may sound, these creatures, we have called them Minis, are taking over the ship. They have eaten much of the food and gotten into our experiments. The captain is considering abandoning ship. We have enough pods, and there is one of our ally worlds nearby. They have made a nest, of sorts, in the engine room, and any poison or guns we've tried does no difference. Lasers will throw them back, but unless they are otherwise subdued, they will simply get up and attack. These creatures are going to start damaging the ship soon." And she faded again.

"So that's why they abandoned ship..." said Fox. He picked up the grey thing. As he did, something popped out. A gold key, entirely identical to the ones the others had brought back. But it was... in half!

"Ha!" Fox said. "Falco, Falco! I've got half the key!"

Only static came through Fox's communicator. "Damn it, Falco!" Fox said. He was in the engine room. Fox could just_ tell_.

"Falco, you idiot," Fox said. He set off at a run, not thinking about how he didn't know where the engine room was.

—

"Fox! FOX!" Falco shouted into his communicator. Nothing. It sparked slightly from where the thing had bitten it. "Damn," he said. "I'll have to find him." He started to run for the door, then stopped.

In front of the door was a mass of those stick-creatures. A ton of them. There must have been hundreds.

As if on a signal, they leaped off of each other's shoulders and attacked him.

—

Fox crept into a room. It had taken a while, but he had gotten to the engine room. He immediately hid behind a large glass tank full of what looked like tar.

Peeking out around, he saw Falco lying unconscious on the ground. There was a blue mini that seemed to be making a meal of his watch, while the others were gathered around the engine. On top of the engine was a slightly larger one, carrying... the other half of the key. _Dammit,_ Fox thought. _we'll have to kill that thing or steal the other half of the key. After I save Falco._

Fox darted from one hiding place to the next, creeping closer to Falco. Falco stirred faintly, and silently opened his eyes. He saw Fox and mouthed, 'look', and pointed at the largest Mini.

'I know,' Fox mouthed back. 'Just a sec-' Fox was interrupted by a loud beeping.

It was Fox's watch. It was beeping to say his hour was up.

He had half an hour to get out of there, he didn't know what condition Falco was in, the biggest of the minis had the other half of the key they needed, and all the minis had been alerted by the sound and were slowly turning toward him.

To put it bluntly, he was _screwed_.

* * *

I didn't change this much. If you want me to change it in any other way, tell me, and I'll do a re-rewrite of this chapter.

So... Fox is completely screwed. Yay!


	21. Escape

Teehee! My short little plot-arc-ending chapter. I kept last chapter's cliffhanger because I didn't want to put up an entire plot arc in one chapter. ^.^

Folks, if you like the Smash Mind series, have a look at this! (remove all the spaces first)  
Fanfiction . net / forum / Smash_Mind_The_Official_Forum / 55120 /

Enjoy!

* * *

Fox's gun blazed as a mini leapt at him. The mini was knocked away to the wall. Fox fired again as three came at him. One was knocked away by his laser shot, another by Falco's as he leaped to his feet. So he was fine. Good.

There must have been a thousand of them, and more were arriving every second. The two moved closer together, standing back to back, firing shot after shot. More Minis were accumulating as fast as they could fire their weapons. They kicked off the creatures that climbed their legs, and knocked back others with their fists.

"Fox!" Falco said, twisting to fire at two that were jumping off of the machinery on to them. "How fast can you run right now?"

"Fast," said Fox. "I think."

"Then go. Run in circles, put on a show, whatever. Just don't let them catch you."

"Got it," said Fox, trusting Falco's plan. He leaped, with a flip he was out of the circle. Some of the minis turned to follow him, and he ran around, dodging the masses and shooting others to make them join the chase. Falco slipped out of their sight and crept up on the big one. With a burst of his gun, the large one was sent flying. Falco grabbed the key piece from where it sat.

"Fox!" he shouted. "C'mon! We've got to get out of here, _now_!"

Fox immediately ran for the door. Falco followed quickly. "Follow me," said Fox. "I know the way back to the portal."

The two raced down the hallways, straining their muscles in an attempt to get out of there in time. They ran as fast as they could, just barely scaping past corners. They heard the beep, beep, beep, of the bomb get louder and closer.

As they raced by it, Falco saw the time they had left. "One minute to get out of here," he said to Fox.

"Let's see what we can do with that," Fox panted. And they kept running.

The ship was a maze of hallways, and fear tightened Fox's chest. What if he chose the wrong way?

Soon enough, though, they reached the red door they had come out of. Fox flung it open and the two ran out - into the clear field.

"Close the doors!" Fox shouted.

Those nearby, Captain Falcon and Ness, helped to push the doors shut. When they were shut, Falco and Fox collapsed on the grass, panting hard.

"I don't think I've ever run that fast in my life," said Fox.

"And that's saying something," put in Captain Falcon, his voice laced with bitterness brought on by memory of the one time he had raced Fox. "you're ridiculously fast."

"That ship was about five seconds from exploding when we ran out of that door," said Falco.

"Oh," said Roy. "That doesn't sound good. What happened?"

"They were overrun by these tiny little creatures, and they abandoned ship and set a bomb to explode it. When we got there, the bomb was set for an hour and a half," said Fox. "But, we somehow managed to even get the key." He pulled his half from his pocket and tossed it to Falco, who put the two halves together like a puzzle piece. He then tossed it to Marth.

"I know we have got get moving and all, but mind giving us a few minutes to catch our breath?" Falco requested. The two sat there in the grass for a while, while their breathing slowed and their legs ceased to ache.

* * *

^^ I'm churning out chapters. That's because it's so much easier to just edit than actually write.

Review, if you like!


	22. The Pitch Pipe

Hey again. Sorry for the lack of updates for so long... I'm sure everyone's pretty busy around Christmastime. Happy new year to all of you!

Here's a couple of changes and a lot more description.

* * *

"That's a lot better," said Fox said, stretching his exhausted legs as he got to his feet. Falco followed.

"You searched for the key while there was a ticking bomb?" Roy asked.

"That's right," said Fox.

"You're either really, really brave, or really stupid," said Roy.

"Both," the two friends said simultaneously, trading small smiles.

"Let's go," said Marth. They all continued along the pathway. Marth opened the next door, fully expecting to see another cavern. But he did not.

"Wow," said Roy, sounding genuinely impressed. "It's not another dark, wet tunnel."

Instead of a tunnel, there was a bright room. It was a very big room, almost a hall, with large windows and a high ceiling. Sunlight streamed into it through the windows. There was a warm, red carpet, and the walls were a cheery yellow. The carpet led to the back of the room, where there was a set of stairs leading up to a slightly raised dias. On one side of the dias was a large table, covered in a red cloth. There were shelves along the wall, covered with cases, big and small. Another wall was covered in books. A couple of crates sat in corners. It had a warmth to it that was like coming home. Everyone found themselves smiling as they looked around at the room.

"Where are we?" Marth wondered out loud.

"Does this place feel... familiar to anyone?" Roy asked hesitantly.

"It's like... a song played a long time ago..." Link said. He looked startled. "Where'd that metaphor come from?"

Zelda laughed. "It's true, though. That's possibly the best words anyone could chose to describe this place. Like a melody from childhood."

"What's that?" Young Link, a child still, said. "I saw something flash." He darted from his place beside Popo and Nana and ran across the floor. He picked up something silver and shiny, holding it in two fingers. "Hey... it looks kind of like the Ocarina of Time... but... it has an inscription."

"What does it say?" Nana asked eagerly.

"It says... 'Though Music heals and charms, it can be avenging and painful, too. When Music is warped by darkness, use this to set it in tune,'" Young Link's voice became confused. "then there's a symbol, like five lines, three notes, and a... I think it's a treble clef. Then it says, 'In the name of Melodia, I give this pitch pipe to our heroes. He who blows the note is the one who will save us." Young Link raised the pitch pipe to his lips and blew. A soft, sweet note rang out. "Hey, cool!"

"Let me try that," Marth said. He took the pitch pipe from Young Link and blew into it. Nothing. He blew again. Still nothing. Young Link blew into it, and there was sound.

Suddenly, Navi flew out of the older Link's hat. _It's Melodia's Pitch-pipe!_ She said.

"Melodia? Who's that? Navi, what are you talking about?" the older Link asked.

_Melodia is the spirit of music, and also the patron goddess of a world of music, named after her. Women are her priestesses. The girls they raise run the temple, while the boys leave to become Bards. There is darkness ahead, but I sense light in that pitch-pipe. Legend has it that it can only be played by the hero who will save Melodia's realm from darkness._

"Navi, how do you know these things?" Zelda wondered. "I've never asked why, but you always seem to know vital information at exactly the right time. Why is that?"

_I'm a guide-fairy,_ Navi said. _Just by being in a place, my magic can give me some information. Sometimes it's completely irrelevant, so I do not share it. But when it is, I tell it to Link._ She looked to the younger Link. _You two are constantly being chosen. I suppose it's because you are the Hero of Time, Chosen of the Goddesses, but it's still a pain for anybody travelling with you._

Young Link laughed. "Aw, Nav, I'm sure we can handle it."

"What have you gotten us into?" Link asked his younger counterpart.

Young Link shrugged. "Dunno," he said.

"Bring the pitch-pipe if you like, it might be useful," said Marth, "But we have to move on."

"Where are the priestesses? I can give it back," said Young Link.I don't think they're here at all, said Navi, or one would have come out to meet us."We'll look around," said Marth.

"Maybe in the room ahead of us," said Young Link. He walked down the hallway, up the stairs at the end of it, past the red-draped table, and to the small door, next to the double doors. "Let's try this one," he said.

_Wait!_ Cried Navi, flying after him. _There might be danger._

"Alright, alright," said Young Link. He opened the door and slipped in. Link, exasperated, ran after him.

Link walked into the room, looked around. He made to take another step, but stopped short before he fell into the water. Most of the floor of this room was made up of water. A glow emanated from the bottom of the water, giving the room a dim light. There were two walkways, hanging just over the water. One led along the centre of the room, to a circular platform made of red wood. A smaller circle made of glass was in the centre, giving a view of the clear, still water below. _This is a Seer's chamber, Navi said. They're also called Oracles. The Oracle would sit on the centre circle and use the water for both meditation and for Seeing either the future or places far away. Others would use the side pathway._ Link turned slightly and walked over to the side of the rectangular entrance platform. He looked at the side pathway. There were two chairs against the wall, as well as a small, low table. A lamp on the table illuminated Young Link, sitting with his legs tucked under him. He was holding a little book, bound in leather with good-quality, creamy paper. It had childish writing on the front.

"It's the diary of this priestess named Chrissy," said Young Link. "It says that the realm is slowly being taken over by darkness." He read out loud."

_Dear diary,_

_Today, the lady Melanie, our High Priestess, and Lady Bethany went into the Darkness. They said they couldn't let all the others be lost forever. I'm afraid, Diary. What if they never come back either? Then I'll be the only one left. Lady Melanie told me, 'don't come after us, Chrissy. You have to stay here and wait for the Hero to come and help us.' I'm afraid of being the last one left. Where is the Hero now? Where is he, that a woman who's going to have a baby will go into the darkness and be lost? Where is the hero?_

_It's too empty here._

"Then she goes on, three days later,

_Dear Diary,_

_I can't take it anymore. I will not sit here and wait. I've got to go find them! Lady Melanie can't stay out there. She's going to have a baby. I can't leave her alone. I'm gonna go find her. I'm going to go find them all. Lady Melanie, Lady Bethany, Mimi... and my momma, if she's still alive. I know a girl my size can't do much, but Mimi, before she left, said that the Heroes from faraway lands are small like me and still do great things. I can do it. I will find Lady Melanie and her baby._" Young Link finished.

There was no door at the other end of this little room. So Young Link put down the diary, and the two left. Back in the main room, they explained what they had found to everyone."A pregnant woman went into this 'darkness' and didn't come out, and a child went after her?" Marth asked.

"That's what it said," said Young Link. "Come on, we gotta go after them!"

"Yes," the older Link agreed. The heroes in the group put in their own agreements.

"Why go there and save them?" Bowser asked.

"Because that's-a what the heroes do," Mario said.

"Because it's right," Peach added. "At least for now, you're one of the good guys. So you have to act like one. That means saving people in trouble, especially when you're the only ones who can."

Marth, since he was closest, put his hand on the doorknob of the right of the double doors. He pushed, but it didn't budge. He shoved harder. A strange, strangled noise came out. "It's locked," he said.

Young Link looked hard at the door. "What was that noise?" he asked, emboldened by the pitch-pipe in his hand. "Can you push it again?"

Marth pushed again, harder. Ike walked over and joined in. The sound came again.

"It sounds warped... out of tune," Zelda said.

"When Music is warped by Darkness..." Young Link brought the Pitch-pipe up to eye level. He looked at the door. There was a symbol on it, like one of the symbols around the edge of the pitch-pipe. There were holes under all of the symbols. He set the hole under the matching symbol to his lips, and blew. A sweet tone echoed through the room. The tune was echoed by the door, and it swung open.

"Hey! It worked!" said Young Link. The pitch-pipe flashed white, then cooled to the silver it always was. "Come on!" Young Link said. "I bet this is the way to the 'darkness'!" He ran in.

_Link!_ Navi called, flying after him.

* * *

I'll probably add another tomorrow. Seriously, everyone! If you've read Unity before, go read New World! If not, review! In fact, review even if you have read Unity before - I'd like to know what you think.

Thanks for tuning in!


	23. Seperation

Here I am, with the next chapter of the re-written Unity! I've changed a few things, but honestly I didn't see the need to change a whole lot. Thanks for reading this, by the way.

* * *

This room was much darker than the others. The windows had red curtains drawn over them, and the cases that should have lined the walls were scattered on the floor... empty. There were several exits to this room, one at each end as well as others on the sides.

Young Link set off across the room, pitch pipe in one hand and sword drawn in the other. He liked this kind of adventure. It didn't require much planning - you knew what to do. Defeat the monsters, navigate the dungeon, and rescue the prisoners. It wasn't complicated, or even remotely political. Now this was something he could handle.

_Link!_ called Navi, chasing after him.

With a blue glow, something floated over to Navi. It was an instrument, looking a little like a bugle, but with a long part. The long part jutted out quickly, striking Navi and sending her spinning through the air.

"Hey!" the older Link said. He raced over, pulled out his sword and attacked the instrument. Not a dent. Nothing. It played a loud, out of tune note in his ear, and he clutched his head. Young Link winced in sympathy. He knew what it was like to have a Hylian's sharp hearing abused like that.

Young Link raced over. He looked at the pitch-pipe. It had a hole with a bunch of instruments carved above it. He played one note on that hole, and it rang through the room. The instrument's slide moved slowly and echoed the note. Then the blue light faded and it crashed to the floor.

The older Link caught Navi, who was fluttering dizzily, in his hand. "Navi, you ok?" he asked. His hand sparked with green light as he summoned his magic to try to heal his guide fairy.

_I'm fine,_ Navi said quickly. _It's just a bump._ _No need to use magic._ She beat her wings and hovered over Young Link. _Stop running away,_ she told him. _Wait for the others. You're not doing a solo... people will get hurt if you go rushing off like that._

"Fine," said Young Link. He walked towards the end of the room. _I can't just leave them,_ he thought, chafing that he couldn't complete this quest at his own pace. _They're people, lost in the darkness, maybe even dead. I wish the others would hurry up._

A loud crash and a cry of pain caught Young Link's attention.

Marth was standing, doubled over, his hands on one leg. On his foot was a large, heavy-looking instrument case. "What is this thing?" he hissed.

Roy crouched down, examining the case. "Well," he said, "I'm no expert, but I think that's a tuba case."

"I know that," Marth said, through clenched teeth. "I've seen tuba cases before. But a tuba case is not this heavy!"

Mewtwo examined the case, his eyes glowing purple. _That is not an instrument in that case._

"What's in there, then?" Roy asked.

Mewtwo looked a little more. A solid mass of metal... iron, perhaps."So there's an anvil in a tuba case on Marth's foot," said Roy.

_It looks that way,_ Mewtwo agreed.

"Can you get it off me, please?" came Marth's voice. His calm tone was belied by his expression, clearly showing his pain.I can, said Mewtwo. He raised one paw and closed his eyes. A stubborn look crossed his face. Then the tuba case was surrounded by purple light, and it was lifted off of Marth's foot by an invisible force.

Immediately, Marth gingerly pulled it up off of the ground. His boot was in a bad way, and red with blood.

"Sit down," said Roy, helping him sit on the tuba case. He gently pulled off Marth's boot, to see his foot, bleeding and at a strange angle. "I think it's broken."

Ike ran over, pulling his bandages out of his backpack. "We all owe my resurrected sister, big-time," he said as he unrolled them. Roy and Ike smiled, and Marth grimaced.

"Clean it first," said Peach as she ran over.

A memory surfaced in Zelda's mind.

_She watched, hovering on the edge of unconsciousness from her foot, throbbing with her heartbeat. The healer looked critically at her wound. "Looks like it's broken," she said. "But don't worry, dear. I can fix this."_

Zelda remembered how the healer had bound her foot when she had broken it.

"I know how to fix this," said Zelda, taking a gentle hold on Marth's foot. "I need something flat and fairly straight."

"Here," said Link. He pulled his boomerang out of his pack. "Use this."

"This might hurt," Zelda said. She pressed a pad to Marth's foot, allowing it to absorb all of the blood. Then she tied a bandage gently around it. Marth hissed with pain as she pulled it tighter. Then, when that was attached, she held out her hand. Link put the boomerang into it. She put it under Marth's foot and tied more bandages around it, pulled them tight as well.

"There," Zelda said. "How's that?"

Marth moved his leg, testing the bandage. "It hurts, but it's strong," he said. "Thank you."

"No problem," Zelda said. She turned to Link. "Quick thinking, with the boomerang."

"Thanks," said Link.

"Marth, you won't be much use with a broken foot," said Zelda. "And you might get hurt even worse. You should go back to the entrance."

Marth looked affronted, but quickly realized she was right. "Alright," he said.

"I'll go with him," said Roy. "I know how to bandage wounds, so I can change the bandage when it needs it."

"Thank you," Marth said, smiling slightly at his friend. Roy helped him to his feet and the two headed back to the entrance of Melodia's sanctuary.

"Let's go," said Young Link. He led the way toward the next door.

"Hey! Wait up!" Popo called, running after him. Without a word, Nana followed her ! You three! Don't go wandering off on your own! Navi called, flying after them. The rest followed.

The next room was a strange place. Instruments zipped around everywhere, but pretty much ignored the intruders.

Young Link whipped around at a "hey!"

He turned to see Bowser swiping at a long instrument, like the one that had attacked Navi, that was bonking him in the face with its slide. Bowser sent it flying across the room.

The instrument played a long, loud, out-of-tune note.

Every instrument in the room stopped, turned slowly towards them, and began to swirl around their heads. Young Link was pushed, battered, and shoved by flutes, harps, and a million other things. He received a sharp poke in the behind by what he presumed to be a conductor's baton. He couldn't see, but he heard the others calling to each other.

Suddenly, he felt himself seized by a disembodied force. He was lifted into the air in a purple bubble and carried through the haze of instruments.

He was set down inside a larger psychic bubble. Sheltering inside it was Mewtwo, the Pokemon, Popo, Nana, and Ness. Navi was there as well. She immediately flew over to him, exclaiming, _Link! Are you alright?_

"I'm OK, Navi," said Young Link. He turned to Mewtwo. "Thanks," he said.

Mewtwo, busy psychically scanning the room for others, did not reply.

Samus floated into the bubble, holding onto a small purple ball Mewtwo had sent out. She landed on the floor with a sigh. "Ow," she said. "Thanks."

Young Link felt the bubble rock as it was rammed by what he thought might be a tuba. It drifted, taking them with it. It was rammed again, and again. Each time, it moved, and soon the little group was forcibly ejected from the room.

The bubble popped, and the group fell to the floor. A heavy-looking pair of doors slammed shut behind them.

_Are you alright?_ Mewtwo asked them all, lifting himself into the air again.

"Fine," said Young Link.

"Good," said Popo. Nana nodded.

"I'm not hurt," Samus said.

The Pokemon made affirmative gestures, and said things Young Link could not understand.

Mewtwo closed his eyes. _The door is shut, and I can't open it. The others will have to look after themselves._

—

"Zel!"

Zelda heard a cry as she attempted to force away the overly aggressive drumsticks. Link ran over, shoving a large horn and a small flute out of his way.

"Link!" Zelda said. Link put his arms around her, hugging her tight.

"There you are," he said. He let go, using his sword to knock away a trumpet. "C'mon, we've got to get out of here. We need shelter. Staying here will do no good."

The pair forced their way through the instruments, receiving bumps and bangs from a million different musicmakers. Zelda laughed slightly. "I'm going to have a couple of nasty bruises tomorrow," she said.

"You're not the only one," Link replied. "These things are brutal, and we can't make a mark on them."

"Sad, isn't it?" Zelda said. "They're instruments. You can dent half of them by dropping them on the floor, but swords and spells do nothing." She kicked at a low-lying bassoon. "I'm so glad I'm not wearing my dress. That would have been problematic."

The couple came upon Donkey Kong, surrounded by flutes of different sizes that were pecking at him like birds. He slapped them away, but they came back. He covered his face with his hands. Zelda sent a blast of wind magic at him, blowing the flutes away into the wall. They wandered around, apparently dazed, or at least disoriented.

Donkey Kong turned to them, and nodded his thanks. Zelda smiled. "Come on!" she said. "We're finding some shelter."

Donkey Kong sent a trombone flying into the wall with a punch. With minimal help from Link and Zelda, the he managed to make a path through the instruments to find a way out. They walked the last distance, through the door, and sat down on the floor.

"Glad that's over," said Link.

Suddenly, the doors slammed shut.

"Oh no," said Zelda.

"Well find another way," said Link. "Don't worry..."

A high-pitched squeal caught their attention.

—

Captain Falcon had never been so glad for his helmet and racing suit. The padding, while allowing him to move, protected him from some of the rabid instruments. He stumbled through the room, searching for someone else, or a way out... anything.

He dodged a fast flying trumpet, and looked to see who had knocked the instrument away. Peach was dealing out what would have been a good deal of pain with her frying pan. She was doing great, but there were a lot of instruments.

Captain Falcon felt the power well up in his arm. He shot summoned his strength, crying out, "Falcon... PUNCH!"

As he shot towards Peach, a blue shape got in his way. He smashed into Ike, and Ike went flying across the room, landing on the ground, immobile.

"Falcon!" Peach said angrily. "What did you do?" she sent a couple more instruments flying, then ran over to the unmoving Ike. She put two fingers under his chin, checking for a pulse. "Just unconscious," she said. She shot him a black look. "Help me carry him. We've got to get out of here."

—

Game&Watch struggled and flailed, but he was firmly stuck in the bell of a large horn. He squirmed as it carried him across the room. With a noise like a pregnant foghorn, the thing sent him flying into a door. The door opened when he smashed into it, and tumbled into the dark room.

He looked up. Through the darkness, he could see many pairs of frightened eyes, all looking at him.

—

"This way!" shouted Fox. "Come on! I found a door!"

"Fox!" came a distant voice. "Where are you?"

"Over here," Fox cried. "I'm over here. There's a door..."

Falco emerged from the instruments. Ganondorf punched his way through in another direction, and Yoshi came from a third. Mario and Luigi followed.

"Come on," said Fox. "In here. We'll never find anyone else in that."

—

Bowser was incredibly annoyed, to say the least. All he had done was take a swipe at one of these stupid instruments, and now he was surrounded by thousands of them! All of them bonking and bouncing and shoving him. He sent a couple flying with a swipe of his clawed hand. He felt an explosion of pain in the back of his head and fell.

A large tuba case that probably didn't have a tuba in it was withdrawn to the top of the ceiling. The last 'enemy' defeated, all of the instruments went back to their lazy circling and out-of-tune playing.

In the corner of the room, a certain stone block slowly turned pink and fleshy. Kirby popped up. He looked around. None of the instruments seemed to notice him. He walked over to where Bowser lay, unconscious. Opening his mouth, he sucked the giant turtle in, carefully stopping just before Bowser's power was absorbed, essentially carrying Bowser in his stomach.

Kirby, his now hugely-distended belly wobbling, waddled off.

* * *

New World is fun. I'm putting here another shameless plug for the Smash Mind Official Forum.


	24. The Best She Ever Would

Hallo! This is one of my favourite chapters. I love Melodia. After all, I'm a musician myself. (can you tell?) I edited it some, just to add depth and to bring a little illumination to Melodia's world.

* * *

Game&Watch looked out across the room. It was fairly large, dark, and damp. But for some strange reason, there was a tree growing in the centre of the room. It wasn't the tallest or the healthiest, but it was a tree all the same. A little girl sat under the tree, playing softly on a piccolo. She had her eyes closed, and the look of someone casting a spell. As he watched, a red apple sprouted on the tree. It went from budding to maturity in about ten seconds, and a little boy who was standing beside the tree took the apple and began to eat it. He moved away and another child stood next to the tree.

Seeing these three, Game&Watch looked around for more people. The room was full of people, but the semi-darkness made them hard to see. Unkept and dirty, exhausted, and afraid. The majority were women, and Game&Watch saw no adult males. The girls all wore the same purple robes, while the boys wore light blue. Silver instruments were in some of their hands.

"Wh- who are you?" came the voice of a tiny girl. Game&Watch beeped.

"How did you get in here?" an older one asked. Game&watch pointed to the door.

The entire group stared at the door for a minute. "Oh," said the first child.

As they all stared at the door, wondering how they hadn't noticed it, it disappeared.

"Damn it!" one of the little boys shouted, frustration turning his high voice bitter and raspy. He was quietly scolded by an older girl.

"Are you the Chosen Hero?" another voice asked. "Do you have the Pitch-Pipe?" Game&Watch shook his head. The girl looked at the floor. "Oh," she said.

"Hey!" said the voice of a little boy. "Even if he isn't the Hero, he got in here, right? That means we can find a way out!"

"Yeah!" said another. "We can't give up!" He pulled out a harp, and played a few notes. A young girl started singing. She was quickly joined by another little girl, and an improvised drum started up. Soon, the room was full of music, as all the trapped people raised their voices. The melody was passed to a much older girl for the second verse, and the entire group joined in on the chorus. The song seemed to revitalise the entire group, and they looked like people capable of doing something now.

Game&Watch was a bit confused, especially when he was picked up by the little girl who had been the first singer and carried along with the group. They walked, still singing, along the hallway. The little girl put Game&Watch on her shoulders and carried him to the front of the group.

Suddenly, they all stopped. "Well," rose a sceptical voice from the back of the group. "Now that we're all fired up, what do we do about that?"

"This is the problem," the little girl whispered to Game&Watch. "We can't get out."

Game&Watch looked at the door. It was huge and steel. Grotesque tentacles grew out of the wall, writhing and undulating, making the door, with its large and incredibly ugly eye, inaccessible.

Game&Watch jumped down from the little girl's shoulders. He walked carefully forward, slowly as to not get the tentacles after him. He raised his frying pan... and fired a piece of his exploding bacon at the eye. It hit its mark, and the eye blinked and tears fell from it.

"That's it!" said the little girl.

"It's that simple!" an older one gasped. "We just have to kill the eye!" She pulled a crescent dagger from her waist, and dove at the eye. She was picked up by a tentacle. "Aaah!"

"Sis!" a little boy cried. He pulled out a dirk from his sheath and dove at the tentacle holding his sister. He began chopping at it.

"Marie, Stella, Sarah, James, Esa. You're small. Get the eye! Everyone else, go after the tentacles!" Someone shouted. A multitude of daggers and dirks were drawn, and the tired, hungry people charged. Game&Watch darted through the battle, doing whatever he could. He fired exploding bacon at the eye, and he punched and kicked and flagged at the tentacles. The little girl boosted him up, then dove at the eye herself with her dagger.

With a cry that seemed irrational because it had no visible mouth, the eye turned to dust and fell to the floor. The tentacles withered and fell as well.

"We did it!" shouted the little girl. "We did it!" She picked Game&Watch up and held him high in the air. "We don't need the Chosen Hero! We can free Melodia's Realm by ourselves!" she looked around. "We have to get out of here, or we'll all go mad! No offense to Jessie, she did an amazing job with her spell, and without her we'd have all died, but I am _sick of apples!_"

"Stella's right. Only a door now separates us from freedom," said someone.

"Only a door," added another. "And doors can be opened,"

"They can be knocked in!" shouted an obviously high-spirited little boy.

"Or," said another priestess, "they can be unlocked." She raised a finger to emphasize her point.

"Good point," said the little boy. "Anybody got the key?"

Game&Watch looked around. There didn't seem to be key or lock or even handle on this door. And doors that didn't have handles generally didn't need them.

He stepped forwards, put a hand to the door, and pushed.

—

"This," said Fox, "Is a cupboard. The fact that we all fit in here is a _miracle_." And they only just fit into the large wooden cupboard. Fox had something uncomfortable, something that was probably Falco's elbow, jammed into his stomach. Fox's shoulder was also jammed up against Ganondorf's side. Mario was half on top of Yoshi, and none of them could see Luigi.

"What are we going to do?" Falco asked.

"We're going to wait until the sounds of all those instruments calm down," said Fox. "I do NOT like the idea of going back out there."

"And-a what will we do then?" Mario asked.

"Then..." Fox said, "I guess we have to find the others." He put an ear to the door. "It's starting to sound quiet in there." He put his hand to the handle, then turned it. And again. And again. "Nothing. This door... isn't opening."

"I would like to point out that there is always the option of breaking it," said Gannondorf. His hands started to glow.

"Sounds good," said Falco, pulling out his blaster.

—

Kirby waddled out of the Darkness. Roy and Marth were sitting on the steps of the main hall. They turned when Kirby walked out of the door. Marth and Roy turned when Kirby walked out.

"Wow," Roy said, motioning to Kirby's stomach. "What did you eat this time?"

Kirby walked well away from the two, and spat Bowser out onto the floor.

Roy started laughing.

—

A cry caught all of their attention. Donkey Kong gave an answering one, and looked around, shocked.

"What's wrong?" Link asked.

"He doesn't sound in pain," said Zelda. "He sounds... happy."

In a flash of brown, something darted into the room, and hugged DK. He threw his arms around it, the biggest smile on his face.

A little monkey popped out of DK's hug. It gave Link and Zelda a big smile.

"Hey!" said Zelda. "Isn't that Diddy?"

"He looks familiar," Link said.

"From the battle, remember?" Zelda said. She smiled. "Hi, Diddy."

Diddy Kong grinned even bigger and hugged Zelda, too. "Can't... breathe..." Zelda laughed. Diddy quickly let go.

"So this is a friend of Donkey Kong's?" Link asked.

"Family, I think, from how close they are," Zelda said. Diddy Kong sat on Donkey Kong's shoulder, and the two grinned. "Yep," said Zelda. "They're family. Look at their faces."

"Shall we?" Link laughed, pointing to the hallway.

"Let's," said Zelda, taking his arm.

Link peered into her face. "Are you alright?" he asked her, looking concern.

"Link, I'm fine," she said. "Let's get going."

—

Marth stifled a cry and clutched at his leg. Roy stopped laughing.

"Marth!" Roy cried, running over to his friend. Darkness was creeping up Marth's leg. Marth's face was a grimace of pain once more.

Roy gasped. "It's like what happened to Zelda!" he searched his backpack. "I know Link gave me one of his bottles... aha!" he pulled it out. He worked at the cork, trying to open it. "Damn cork..."

"Give it here," Marth said. He yanked it out of Roy's hand and smashed the bottle on his knee. The Sacred Water, dyed red with Marth's blood, ran down his leg, and the darkness disappeared.

"Link has three bottles left," said Roy.

Marth closed his eyes. "I'm under some sort of... mental attack," he said. He doubled over, clutching his head.

Roy put his hands on Marth's shoulders, flinging himself into the mental link. He could feel an unnatural darkness creeping upward from the wound in Marth's leg, radiating an unwholesome feeling that reminded Roy of something rotted. He transferred all his power to Marth to help his friend fight it off.

Marth took the power and wielded it like a holy sword. Roy's fire mixed with Marth's light to make a strength to be reckoned with. Together, they backed the darkness up, and backed it up again. Marth thrust the ray of power deep into the centre of the darkness, and it dissipated like a shadow in a spotlight.

"It's gone," Marth said. "That was the same thing that had been attacking Zelda."

"You sure it won't come back?" Roy asked, unravelling Marth's bandage to examine his leg. There was a lot of blood, but no darkness.

"No," said Marth. "Because I was conscious, and my power is light-aligned, I was able to chase it out. It took root in Zelda while she was unconscious. And I had your help. Thanks, Roy."

"No problem," said Roy. "What are friends for?" He grinned at Marth, then looked at his leg. "Got any bandages? Now your knee is bleeding, too."

Marth sighed. "Unfortunately, no," he said. He shrugged off his navy blue cape, of which he was very proud, and tore a strip off of the end.

—

Those with short legs (most of the group) had to hurry to keep up with Mewtwo's gliding and Samus' long stride. Jigglypuff, with the shortest legs in the group, had to run outright, and shortly she was panting.

_Are you alright?_ Mewtwo asked her. She explained that she was getting very tired because she couldn't run very fast. Mewtwo picked her up with psychic energy and put her on his shoulders. _Is that better?_ He asked. She replied yes, sounding very happy.

They came to a divide in the hallway. Down one path, something glowed. Jigglypuff loudly proclaimed that whatever was that way was a place where the darkness was weak. Jigglypuff said that her songs could do some good there, and she was going there now. She leaped off of Mewtwo's shoulders and started off down the hallway, not looking back. Pikachu and Pichu followed her quickly. They tended to stick together.

_I'll go with them,_ Mewtwo said.

"I'll take Young Link, Popo and Nana, and Ness," said Samus, "And search down this hallway."

_Call if you need assistance._

"You do the same." Mewtwo nodded. And so the two groups split up.

Jigglypuff led the way down the hallway, the music in her drawn by the haven of safe songs she knew lay ahead. She hurried along the others, running faster and faster.

When she reached the lighted room, she heaved a sigh of relief. There was something unwholesome about the darkness, but this room felt natural. She could feel the light in this room as well as see it.

The room was perfectly round, with an intricate pattern of tiles on the floor. In the centre was a smaller circle, and in that were two even smaller circles, overlapping did you bring us here? Mewtwo asked her. She explained to him that she could do some good here. When Mewtwo asked how, she simply told him to watch.

Moving to place herself in the centre of the right circle, she raised her voice in a sweet song. Neither Pikachu nor Pichu could recognise it. Not even Mewtwo could, and he had known Jigglypuff since she climbed out of a test tube. Pikachu and Pichu stopped in their tracks, and gazed at her. The sheer beauty of the song was beyond anything she had ever produced. It echoed around the room, and the room grew brighter. Mewtwo was drawn in as well, and hovered, still, listening. He felt power gather in the room, light and goodness that had been lost in the darkness guided by the Pokemon's music. The light, the love, the melody, gathered there, cleansing all the feelings of decay from the room. The room almost seemed to flicker, as though the music were a torch that cast its light on the walls.

Everyone in the building felt a lightening in their hearts. A whisper went among the captured priestesses and Bards. "Someone is singing in the Heart of the Sanctuary!" they said. "One of us has reached the centre!"

But Jigglypuff did not know that. All she knew was the music. And the music was amazing, with its lifts, its falls, its magic. Her voice soared effortlessly through it, and she swelled with pride. She knew that this was the best she had ever sung, the best she ever would.

—

Samus opened a door, and was blasted with noise. Cries, sobs, and the sounds of battle. A young child shouted.

"Somebody's in trouble!" Young Link cried, pushing past Samus, racing down the hallway, drawing his sword.

"Hey! Don't leave us behind!" Ness shouted. He, Popo, and Nana pursued him.

Samus sighed. "They're all the same," she said, running after them.

The kids ran down the hallway. They came upon three females. One, probably about thirty, was lying on her back, and blood was everywhere. Black hair was matted around her head, she was breathing hard. Her large stomach was heaving. There was another, maybe the same age, kneeling by the first. Her brown hair was braided down her back, with straight, short bangs failing to cover a look of wide-eyed fear and confusion. A very small, dark-haired girl was fighting off several tiny demon like things at once, armed with nothing but a dagger. Young Link threw himself into the fray, helping the little girl, whose face was white with fear, though she fought with all she had.

"What happened?" asked Samus, running to the women while Young Link, Ness, and Popo and Nana finished off the little demons. "Is she wounded?"

"She's having a baby," said the woman sitting up. "Melanie recently went into labour, and none of us knows how to deliver a baby!"

"Oh damn," said Samus. "I don't know any more than you."

_I might be able to help there,_ Navi said, flying over from where Young Link was fighting.

"You know how to deliver a baby?" Young Link asked, not missing a beat in the battle.

_Well, how do you _think_ fairies are born? Do you think we hatch from eggs?_

Young Link said nothing. That was exactly what he had thought.

_Samus, you'll have to do the actual work,_ said Navi, _because I'm smaller than this baby's head is going to be. I'll tell you what to do._

Samus moved to stand by the bleeding woman, Melanie. Melanie cried out again. _It's alright,_ Navi reassured her. _It will all be alright._

* * *

I'm putting here another shameless plug for the Smash Mind Official Forum. Seriously. It's more interesting than this. Go read it.

Or, if you're not going to take my advice, review!


	25. The Song

Skleee! Hi everybody (if you're actually re-reading this). I'm going to work harder now that I have a break from school, and I'm going to keep re-writing Unity! :D I like this chapter a lot, too. I love music, and that's what it feels like when it's the best.

* * *

Young Link tried to ignore the cries of the lady who was having a baby, ignore Navi's tinkled instructions. He made sure not to look over at them. He used the fanciest, most difficult manoeuvres he knew on the monsters facing him, fighting circles around every one of them, almost enjoying himself. He held his sword up, leaving a deliberate opening, then chopped down when three of the demons lunged for it. The little priestess was careful, pale and frightened looking, but if any monster went near the pregnant woman, she dove at it like a wildcat.

All in all, the demons were getting nowhere. But they had an advantage. They just kept coming. Every time he killed one of them, another popped up. There were more and more of them. He, Popo, Nana, Ness, and the little priestess girl kept fighting, but Young Link knew they'd start wearing down before long.

The little girl looked at Young Link. "Hey!" she said. "Does one of you have the pitch pipe?"

"Yeah," he said, beheading the gremlin-thing nearest to him. "I have it."

"Are you the Chosen Hero?" she asked. "Can you play it?"

"I can play it," Young Link said.

Her eyes went wide. "We can stop this!" she said. "Come on! The Shrine is just up ahead! And somebody's already singing there! Follow me, please. I know what to do."

"Ness, Popo, Nana!" Young Link called. "Can you handle this?"

"Got it!" Ness shouted, firing a burst of psychic flame at the nearest one. "Go ahead."

"Protect Lady Melanie!" the little girl said. "Don't let them hurt her."

"Nobody's gonna hurt her," Popo promised, not looking away from the gremlin he and Nana were squashing careful! Navi called. I have to stay little girl grabbed Young Link's hand and pulled him down a hallway. She still had her dagger in one hand. "Come on!" letting go of Young Link's hand, she grabbed a torch from the wall, cried something out. It burst into violet flames. "Melodia needs your help!"

The two children ran as fast as they could. "I'm Link. What's your name?" Young Link shouted.

"Chrissy," the girl replied.

"Oh, you're the one who wrote the diary," said Young Link. "It was open to one page. That's what told us to come."

"I'm glad," Chrissy said. "Hurry, it's just up ahead."

They entered a room. It was perfectly round, and violet candles, unlit, circled the room. Someone stood in the centre, suffused by light, singing something in a beautiful, echoing voice. Mewtwo, Pichu, and Pikachu stood in a corner of the room.

"Th-that's not a priestess..." Chrssy said, stopping to stare. Young Link looked harder, and saw...

"Jigglypuff!"

Chrissy stared at the singing Pokemon. "Well," she said, "She's singing Melodia's song, so it'll do." She started to run around the room, lighting each candle with her torch. "Link," she said. "Chosen Hero."

"What do I have to do?" he asked.

"See the symbol on the Pitch-pipe? It's shaped like an eighth note, with three ribbons behind it."

Young Link stared hard at the Pith-pipe. He saw the three ribbons behind a circle and a stick, like what was on the Ocarina. "Yeah!"

"Play it as loud and long as you can."

Link put the pitch-pipe to his lips and blew. A note came out, then it changed into a song, a counter-melody to what Jigglypuff was singing. It glowed, and the room was filled with light. The candles glowed, Jigglypuff shone, and the Pitch-pipe radiated pure white light.

He felt himself walk forward, still blowing. Some corner of his mind wondered how he could keep his air going for this long. The rest was caught up in a song he had never played before, but had always known. His heart sang along.

Jigglypuff's voice grew quieter. She stopped, and began to speak. Words flowed from her lips. She spoke, not in her own language, nor in any Young Link knew. Strangely, Young Link heard the words clearly in his mind, as the pitch-pipe played a melody.

_"Our songs, the first-songs, sound still. I am the Melody. I sleep in all who have sung. The Song is here. Let all who know it sing, and the Realm become a Sanctuary once more."_

—

The door swung open, and Game&Watch stepped into the hallway. After a moment, the priestesses and Bards followed.

The priestesses stared at the door. "Oh," said one of them. Then she cried out, "We're free!"

Stella ran up and hugged Game&Watch. "Thank you," she whispered. Then she raised him up in the air. "Hurray for our hero!" All the people present cheered. Game&Watch was tossed high, caught by another, and tossed again. They all cheered.

"Hey!" someone cried out. "Listen!"

Game&Watch looked around. He heard nothing, but all the priestesses put hands to their ears to listen.

"The Call," an old woman whispered hoarsely. "The Song is here. Let all who know it sing."

Game&Watch heard a melody, just a quiet echo. But it began to grow, as each priestess took up the song. He noticed that the boys without instruments remained silent, but looked up with wonder on their faces. The boy with the harp played a soft counter-melody, adding a couple of chords as he got comfortable. Another, who held a trumpet, played the same melody.

—

_And it is done_, Navi said, as the child's first cry rang out. _Give the Lady her daughter. _Samus took the squirming baby in her hands. She placed it into Melanie's outstretched arms. Melanie pulled a bit of her robes away, and put the child to her bared breast. The baby girl latched on, beginning to feed for the first time.

Suddenly, they heard a voice, ringing through the hallway. _"The Song is here. Let all those who know it sing."_

"Bethany," Melanie said weakly. "It's the Call."

The other woman, Bethany, looked shocked. "Chrissy?" she asked.

Melanie shook her head slowly. "No, it's not Chrissy's voice. I'd know Chrissy's."

"Then who?" Bethany asked.

"I... don't know," said Melanie. "Someone is in the Shrine, and the Hero is there."

Bethany got to her feet. She started to sing, quietly, then with a growing voice. Lady Melanie joined in weakly, unable to stand.

_It's the Song of Melodia,_ Navi said quietly. The little demons that the three children were fighting froze.

Suddenly, another tiny voice joined in. Melanie looked down. "Oh, Goddess," she said. "Bethany, look at my daughter." The newborn had opened her mouth, and her tiny voice was singing the Song. Tears coursed down Melanie's face, and she laughed before starting to sing again. This time it was in a stronger, more trained voice.

—

Marth and Roy looked up, hearing a song echo through the building.

"Something's happening," Roy said. Then he looked over at Marth. "D'you know you're humming."

Marth looked up. "I am?" he asked.

Roy nodded slowly. "You're humming that song."

Marth paused, a thoughtful look on his face. "It's very, very catchy." He looked over at Roy. "Now you're humming it too."

Roy laughed. "Am I?"

—

All the blue-lit instruments started to play. But, strangely, they played the opposite of the beautiful song echoing through the building. They were loud, they were very loud, and the notes were unbelievably dissonant. The light shining through the building began to dim. The out-of-tune instruments played louder.

"Something tells me that is not good," Fox said.

—

It hurt to hear the beautiful song, sung by so many voices, being contested by the blare of the possessed instruments near them. Zelda and Link covered their keen ears, trying to drown out the cacophony of noise. Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong conversed quickly in low hoots and cries.

—

The blaring of out-of-tune instruments reached Melanie's ears. She stopped singing. "What is that?" she asked. The baby girl started to screech, a high, keening sound. The Song began to falter, as the sound of the instruments grew louder. The demons attacked again, and this time there were more. Samus joined in the fight, but still they were outnumbered.

—

As the blare of angry instruments reached their ears, a wave of pain travelled through Young Link's body. Something squeezed his lungs, forcing the air out of them. His notes petered out. Jiggypuff cried out in pain.

—

"No," said Falco, "It doesn't sound good at all."

"The song that was purging the darkness from the building is being interrupted by this," said Gannondorf, in his authority as the most sensitive to magic in the room.

"Then it needs to be stopped," said Fox.

"Let's-a go!" Mario said. He flung a fireball at the nearest instrument. It stopped playing for a moment.

—

"We have to stop those instruments!" Zelda cried.

"Come on," said Link. They charged back the way they had come, to see the door hanging open. Zelda summoned her magic, and Link drew his sword. Donkey Kong cracked his knuckles and clenched his fists. Diddy pulled out a gun, and loaded oversized peanuts into it. Yoshi, Mario, Luigi, Fox, Falco, and Gannondorf were already fighting the instruments.

Peach burst into the room from another door, Captain Falcon and Ike with her. "Come on!" Peach shouted. The three attacked as well.

—

The out-of-tune notes, contrasted by the serene beauty of the song drilled into Mewtwo, Pikachu, and Pichu. It was agonizing to listen to. Slowly, slowly, the blaring was drowned out.

—

Jigglypuff cried out, still in that strange voice. _"Let the Song not falter. The Music plays on. Take heart, singers of Melodia, for the Darkness is held off. Sing, and Darkness will disappear. Stop, and Music will die."_

Jigglypuff sang again, louder, in a richer, fuller voice than Young Link had ever heard. Young Link felt air return to his lungs, and the torment abated. Notes poured from his pipe once more.

It was as if a universe had opened up before them. Each star was a singer, sending their strength to him and Jigglypuff. He was connected to every heart in the building, and yet it was as if he watched his own actions from a distance. He felt, more than saw, light surge through the building, purging the darkness from it. He had the urge to jump, to sing, to shout for joy, yet he couldn't move a muscle.

He watched himself take the Pitch-pipe away from his lips, and cry something - he didn't_ understand_ - out. Then the world went black.

* * *


	26. Hear the Music

This chapter was a joy to write (and re-write). If you listen to 'Music' by Angela Aki while you read it, you'll know what I mean.

Here's to hoping it's a joy to read!

* * *

_Link..._

Young Link stirred. Someone was calling his name. He groaned.

_Link..._

He didn't want to wake up. He felt completely drained. "Go 'way..." he muttered.

_Link, you open your eyes this second! I mean it!_

Young Link's eyes opened unwillingly. "Nav?"

Navi was sitting on his tunic. As still as she was, the glow from her wings didn't blot out her appearance. He could see worry on her face, and she was tugging her silver hair.

_Link, you've been out for hours. Are you sick?_

"'m not sick," Young Link said. His mouth began to work properly, and he asked, "What happened?"

_You saved them. You played the pitch-pipe. When I got there, you shouted something in a _really_ old language, then fainted dead away._

"Oh," he said. He began to sit ! said Navi, as she tumbled into his lap. Her wings whirred and began to glow again, breaking her fall in mid-air. She buzzed up to his head-height. _They've been wanting to see you. Maybe you can get an explanation of exactly what happened from them._

"Who's been waiting to see me?" Young Link asked.

_The Priestesses. They're all waiting for you. You're a hero!_

"Oh," said Young Link. "Cool." He got to his feet, and, with Navi on his shoulder, walked out of the room.

"Link!" he heard someone call. Chrissy ran over. "I was wondering if you were okay, but I wasn't allowed in the room."

"I'm fine," he said.

"Good," she replied. "Lady Melanie's been waiting to meet you."

"Alright," said Young Link. He followed the girl down a hallway, and into another small room.

The Lady Melanie was lying in a bed, her daughter wrapped in a blanket in her arms. Her wet black hair was spread across the pillow, and her face was no longer smudged with dirt and blood. She looked up as they entered.

"So this is the Hero I've been hearing so much about?" she said with a smile. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," said Young Link. "Thank you."

"So..." said Chrissy, hesitant, "What did it feel like?"

"What?" young Link asked.

"Playing the Song. Playing the Pitch-pipe."

"Well," said Young Link, thinking. "It was really weird. I'd never played the song before, but it was like I'd known it my whole life. And... I kind of felt like I was... well... being played, rather than playing."

"Makes sense," Melanie laughed, "Because, in a way, you were. Athan, the spirit of instruments, was playing through you. He and his sister, Melody, started the creation of the universe with their first-songs. Athan played, while Melody sang. So you, for a short time, became Athan. If you were to stay here, your title would be 'Lord Athan', like any who have sung with Melody's voice are 'Lady Melody'. Speaking of Lady Melody... Chrissy," Melanie said, looking over at the young priestess, "You were there. Who was the priestess who was singing? I didn't recognise her voice."

"It wasn't a priestess," said Chrissy.

"It was a friend of mine," said Young Link. "Jigglypuff."

"Not... a priestess?" asked Melanie, looking shocked.

"Nope," said Chrissy. She shook her head.

"She's a Pokemon," said Young Link. "She sings all the time, and she's very sensitive to music."

"Hmm..." said Melanie. "So this 'Jigglypuff' must be one of Melodia's children, and so she knew the Song from birth." She gazed with warm eyes at her daughter. "Well, she did it very well. She may have saved us all." she looked up at Young Link. "From what I understand, your friends have been very anxious to see you."

"I'll take him," Chrissy put in eagerly.

Melanie laughed. "Alright, Chrissy."

"Come on!" Chrissy said. "Follow me!" She guided him down a hallway, into the first room they had entered. It's warmth was accentuated by the fact that it was full of priestesses, milling around and chattering to each other. Little bards in blue were also seen. Young Link noticed his comrades among the occupants of the temple.

"Hey, Link!" came a cry. Link looked over to see Ness running up.

"Hi Ness," Young Link said, grinning.

"Glad to see you're OK," Ness said. "Looks like you did it."

"Yeah," Young Link agreed.

"Come on," Ness said. "All those priestesses are practically falling over each other to meet you." he grinned.

It seemed to be so. The moment Young Link stepped into the room, a whole bunch of people came over. Some were boys, all under 16, and there were many, many females of all ages. He was lost, talking to them for a long time. They referred to him as 'Lord Athan', until he asked them not to, with shortening patience. Chrissy left to talk to a boy in blue, about her age, with light hair and eyes that contrasted to Chrissy's dark colouring.

As Young Link was smiling politely and shaking hands with another yet priestess, his stomach growled. Loudly.

The priestess, a woman of about forty, laughed. "Shame on us," she said. "We've been keeping you talking to us for so long, and we hadn't given a thought to feeding you all! You must be starved!" She rushed away, calling out. A great many other priestesses went with her.

The group spent a while longer with the remaining priestesses. Young Link noticed that they all nodded deferentially to Jigglypuff, and all referred to her as 'Lady Melody'. He asked Ness why.

"Well," said Ness, "Apparently, because she sang that song, she became the music spirit Melody, daughter of that goddess... Melodia. So apparently she's now really high-ranking among them, like you."

"Oh, right, like...." Young Link's thoughts were interrupted by a priestess coming out the door and shouting.

"Come on, everyone! The food is ready!" She ran back through the door.

Immediately, everyone moved en masse into the next room. In a feat of brilliant speed, long tables had been set up and covered in plates. The young priestesses and bards were bringing in platters loaded with food. Chrissy laughed and called hello from under a platter so big she had to balance it on her head.

Lady Melanie was seated at the head of the largest table, her friend beside her. She hailed them, and each of their group took a seat there. (Except for Donkey Kong, and Bowser, because they didn't fit the chairs.)

Melanie introduced her friend as Lady Bethany, her second in command and best friend to boot. The two ate plenty and encouraged them all to do the same. Not that it was hard, as this was the first warm, prepared food they'd eaten in a while. It all tasted amazing. Melanie was amiable and friendly, asking them about their journey so far and answering questions about the temple in return. Bethany was more shy, but still cheerful.

"Have you named your daughter yet?" Samus asked, from her place four seats down.

"Not yet," said Melanie. "I can't think of a name." she looked around. "Do any of you have any ideas?"

"How about Maia?" Samus suggested.

"Daisy," put in Peach, thinking back to her friend, a neighbouring princess.

"Sarah," suggested Roy.

"Jessica," said Ness.

"Cecilia," added Marth.

"Violet," Young Link said.

Nana got out of her chair and came over. She stood by Melanie, peering down at her baby. She looked thoughtful. "Lilly," she said firmly.

"Lilly..." Melanie said thoughtfully. "You know, it really does suit her. Yes. Lilly." She reached over and hugged Nana. "Good job. That's a perfect name!"

Nana smiled happily, blushed and looked at the floor, then ran back to her seat next to Popo.

Marth made a tentative inquiry to the health of Melanie's husband. Melanie looked confused.

"Husband?" she asked. "I'm not..." she looked at Lilly. "Oh! Lilly's father?" She thought a moment. "He's out journeying. I don't know if he actually knows Lilly exists." she smiled slightly. "Perhaps I shall wait, and tell him when he returns next year. Won't he be surprised!" She looked up and around. "Looks like most are finished. Adrian!" She called down the tables.

The boy Chrissy had been talking to earlier stood up. "Yes, Lady?"

"Can you give us a song, or are you too stuffed?"

Adrian smiled. "I'm sure I can, Lady." He got up and walked out of the room. A moment later he returned with a harp. He took it out of its case and began to play. He opened his mouth and sang in an amazingly clear, high voice.

"Adrian," said Melanie, "is the best male singer we have here. He's young, but he has so much potential."

Adrien played several selections, then an older girl stood up. "Let me have a go!" she called.

"Sure," Adrian said. He packed up his harp and sat down again.

The older girl removed an old fiddle from a case, and began to play a lively tune. She didn't sing, but the bow and fiddle sang for her, and she grinned. Some of the younger children got up and began to dance, while the older ones clapped.

The group was invited by Melanie to stay as long as they liked. There was music, food, and laughter enough to heal any weary heart. Marth got his leg patched up by an old, experienced healer. Jigglypuff was given an ebony tiara shaped like a staff, covered with the notes of the Song. They told her she was an honorary Priestess of Melodia. When Young Link tried to return the Pitch-pipe, he was told to keep it.

"None of us can play it," said Melanie, "And it might come in use to you someday."

"Thanks!" said Young Link, smiling. He tucked the pitch-pipe among the things in his bag.

Bethany came to the group, some time later. "We have one last gift to you," she said. "Follow me." She led the group into the main entrance of Melodia's Sanctuary. She held her hands out towards the shelf full of instruments.

The group simply stared at her. She sighed. "Go look. You'll find it."

Roy walked over to one of the shelves. "Hey!" he said. "This... has my name on it!" He pulled it off the shelf. "Is this..." he stopped, a look of shock on his face. He opened the clasps on the case and pulled out a trumpet. "It is! My old trumpet!"

Bethany laughed. "That's right!" she said.

"But..." Roy said. "It was destroyed. Years ago. I remember."

"Yes, it was," said Bethany. "Where do you think well-loved instruments go? Play it, it's as good as ever. And we gave it a good polish, fixed up the dents."

Roy raised the trumpet to his lips. He blew a clear, high tone. He took it away from his mouth and looked at it, his face lit with joy. "Th-this is amazing!"

"Go on," said Bethany, smiling. "I'm sure there's something here for everyone."

Zelda walked over to another shelf, pulled a case off of it. She opened it, pulling out a little wooden harp. "I had this when I was just a child," she said.

Fox found a saxophone with his name on it. "I never played the saxophone," he said.

"Well," said Bethany, "Cye can teach you. Come over here." Bethany introduced Fox to a priestess, and a few minutes later Fox was indeed playing the saxophone.

The group split up and raced to the shelves. Many found beautiful instruments on the shelves, just for them. Some from their childhood, some new and full of promise. Every instrument was top quality and perfectly maintained. Others, perhaps those less inclined to play, simply sat and listened.

Ike heard a soft melody weaving its way between the rest. He looked up.

Samus was standing in the corner. Her eyes were downcast, and a bow was making its way skilfully along the strings of the violin in her hands. She had a small, nostalgic smile on her face.

Ike walked over. "Samus? You play the violin?"

Samus looked up. "Hello," she said pointedly.

"You play the violin?" Ike asked again.

Samus said nothing for a moment, and the beautiful, slightly sad melody went on. Then, she said softly, "I was a bored teenager once. It passed the hours."

Marth looked around. His instrument wasn't there - he had known it from the start. It wouldn't have fit on the shelves anyway.

"Just look harder," said Bethany. "Your instrument is somewhere."

Marth looked around again. All he saw was the shelves, the stairs, and a red-draped table.

He made his way up the couple of stairs to the back of the room. He reached out a hand, took the velvet cloth in his fingers... and pulled it away.

Beneath was a grand piano. Dark wood, clean white and black keys. Just like what he'd had at home. Marth sat down at the bench, a smile building on his face.

"Ah," said Bethany. "You're a pianist." she paused, smiling. "...well? Let's hear a song."

He turned his legs to beneath the piano, where they brushed the pedals. He placed his hands on the keys.

Marth's eyes closed, and his fingers danced across the keys. All the care on his face melted away, and Bethany realized that Marth was some three or four years younger than she had first thought. Before, she had seen him as a warrior, someone with a mission. Now, his face was that of a young man, one who had no one to protect, no rebellions to lead, no cares of the past weighing heavily on his shoulders. He had the expression of someone with nothing better to do than while away the hours playing music.

The song was beautiful too. Bethany could appreciate good piano music very well, being a pianist herself. She smiled to herself as she listened.

Roy stopped playing for a moment, then began a bright tune to go along with the piano. Shortly, others began to add their sounds, building a giant, impromptu orchestra, playing their cares away.

She hummed along to the song they were playing as she left the group to their peace. They needed it, and she had to arrange for provisions to send with them.

* * *

Now do you see how much I love music? ^.^ And Angela Aki also. ^.^ That's a... oh no. I've forgotten the term. -giggle-

Oh, right! An _Alliteration_. And Angela Aki also is an awesome alliteration! ^.^


	27. Pencils

Sorry for the quick up-and-down, I'd just realized I'd put up the same chapter twice.

^.^ Hi everyone. I am in a very cheerful mood today. A song for this chapter would probably be 'Hallelujah' by Angela Aki.

* * *

The group slept that night in the main hall, on pallets provided by the occupants of the temple.

Roy woke early that morning and was unable to get back to sleep. He lay on his back on his pallet, watching the sun rise through the windows, and remembering the previous evening. They had spent the night playing, singing, dancing, and having fun. He felt as refreshed as if he had taken a two-month vacation. He smiled. This place was like heaven.

But now, he knew, they'd have to go back to the walking, the waiting, the occasional fight, and then back again. They'd have to worry about whoever had gone, and he'd have to leave his trumpet behind. He sighed unhappily. His trumpet had been his best friend when he was a child.

He heard footsteps. A girl, red-haired and green-eyed, stepped into the room from the entrance. She met Roy's gaze and smiled slightly, waved.

"Hello, Sael," Roy said. Sael looked dusty and tired, but her ankle was healed.

"Hello, Roy," said Sael. She looked away. "Have you... I mean... have you seen..."

"Your counterpart?" Roy asked. She nodded. "No," said Roy. "He hasn't been here since at least yesterday morning, when we arrived."

"Thank you," she said. She looked at the ground. "He ran from me. I tried to explain, but he ran away. Now he's hiding from me. Does he hate me, Roy? Why is he scared of me?"

Roy pondered that for a moment. "Well," he said, "I doubt it's that he's scared of you. I think he's scared of... of the changes that will happen. He's scared of the new things, he's scared of discovering that all he believes in is a lie. It's natural."

She looked at him thoughtfully. "What do I do, though?"

"Well," Roy said. "You should give him a little time, I think. Sometimes people need time to... figure things out for themselves."

"Ok," said Sael. "Thank you, Roy." She smiled, then looked away. "Oh... um... I brought you a... present..."

"A present?" Roy asked, confused. "What?"

Sael reached into her bag and pulled out a piece of paper. It was a drawing. It was of Roy, a bright smile on his face, holding out a hand. Behind him was Marth, looking more serious, but smiling a little himself. He had one hand resting on his sword hilt. Sael explained, "I found coloured pencils in the house of a lady sage I went to visit, to say sorry for a year ago, when my counterpart and I burned her paintings and stole her brushes. She told me they were for drawing and told me I should try them. I asked what I should draw, and she said 'draw one of your friends. Draw them the way they are inside.' So I drew you and Marth."

"Sael," Roy said. "... thank you."

"Oh! It was no... problem, right?"

Roy laughed. "That's right." He looked at the drawing a little more. The shading and the way they were almost silhouetted in light from behind made him smile. "Sael, you made us look like angels!"

"What's an angel?" Sael asked.

"An angel?" Roy thought a moment. "Well, an angel is a... spirit. They are good and merciful, and they come from the heavens to bring salvation and love to the people below. They save people and show them the light."

Sael in turn pondered for a moment. "Well," she said, "That sounds like you and Marth. You have magic powers, like Marth's sword-light, you're good... and... you forgave me. You came down into the Tunnels and you saved me. It seems right."

Roy was shocked. To think she held the two of them in the light of angels... "Sael," he said. "It's not quite like that..."

"Why?" Sael asked. She paused. When Roy couldn't answer, she smiled and said, "I have to go now. I would like to stay longer, but..." She looked at Roy, hard. "Say hello to Marth for me. And Peach, and Ike, and everyone who helped me. And... can you tell them thank you?"

"I will," said Roy. Leaving her drawing sitting in his lap, she smiled. With a wave, she left Melodia's sanctuary, looking hopeful.

Roy stared at the picture. He heard footsteps again, and someone was crouching behind him, looking at the drawing. "Where'd you get that?" Marth asked. "That's us."

"Sael was just here," said Roy. "She found drawing pencils in the house of some sage she went to apologise to, and the woman told her to draw one of her friends."

Marth sat down, examined the drawing. "She drew you in the spirit she first met you," he said. "Holding out a hand, willing to forgive." He laughed a little. "Strange. She drew me smiling, when the first time we met I wanted to kill her." He looked closely at the drawing.

"I told her she made us look like angels," said Roy. "After I explained to her what an angel was, she said we were."

"Angels?" Marth asked, looking confused. "You sure she wasn't joking?"

"She wasn't joking," said Roy. "I don't really think she knows how."

The two looked oddly at each other for a moment. Then, they got to work packing, as the group made to leave. Roy carefully stowed the drawing among his things.

* * *

Another will be up soon, I hope. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I hope you enjoy the story, and I hope you review to tell me so!


	28. Rachel

This one's a little sadder. I pity Rachel... :(

There's no song for the whole thing, but when Roy is reading the diary, a good song is 'hallelujah' by Rufus Wainwright. Yes, his is my favourite version.

Enjoy!

* * *

As they made ready to leave, Bethany came over to talk to them. "We're sorely lacking of good trumpet players, I'm ashamed to admit," she said to them. "Less and less are put to our children every year. The children born now aren't quite the temperament for it." She looked at Roy. "You've got a beautiful sound on your trumpet." She smiled. "You'd be a good teacher. Perhaps you could return, and teach them."

"Maybe," said Roy, smiling back.

She waved goodbye to them, along with Melanie, who was holding Lilly, and Chrissy. "You'll always be welcome here," Melanie said as they left. "I hope we can have the pleasure of your company again some day. Come back if you need a rest."

"We'll remember that," said Marth.

Together, the group moved on.

They were in a better mood than they had been in a long time. People smiled, laughed, talked more than they had. Somehow, it felt like nothing could go wrong today. They couldn't help but succeed, and nothing would stop them. Music just did that to you.

The sun shone down bright, and a sweet scent came off of the grass. Roy smiled. He missed the music at Melodia's sanctuary, but he would return someday.

"Look," said Marth, stopping.

"What is it?" Roy looked up out of his thoughts. There was a gate, but it was clear mesh. Behind it was a one-person boat, with a pair of oars. A sign with Roy's face on it was on the gate.

"There's not two faces," said Roy. Then, he grinned. "Yes! It's finally my turn!" He ran to the gate and pushed it open.

"Take these," Ike said, handing him the bandages. "You might need them."

Roy stowed the bandages in his pack. He walked through the gate. "Hmm..." he said. "I guess I have to use the boat." He pushed the boat into the water, sat down inside, and picked up the oars.

"Do me a favour," Marth called. "Don't get yourself killed."

"I won't," said Roy, grinning at his friend. He paddled out into the lake. Suddenly, the boat was caught by a current of water, and sailed over the lake at a quick speed.

"Well," said Roy. "That kind of negates the need to paddle." he put the oars back in the boat and rested while he waited.

It was misty on the lake. Soon, it grew so foggy that Roy was unable to see either bank. He let the current pull him on, and he quickly reached a small island.

Roy got out of the boat, leaving it at the small dock. There was a good-sized house on the island.

"Well, that's probably where the key is," said Roy. He made his way toward the house, and knocked on the door. "Hello?" he called. "Anyone here?" No one answered.

He checked the door. It was unlocked. "Well," he said, "I guess I'll just have to go inside." He opened the door, and walked in.

It was a fairly old house, and he was immediately presented with two ways to go. There was a room, with a couch, a couple of chairs, and a table, and there were stairs.

He hard a thump up the stairs. "Hmm," he said out loud, breaking the silence. "Better check it out."

It was while he was walking up the stairs that he noticed wet footprints. He knelt down and smelled the prints.

"Smells like salt water," Roy said. "The lake, maybe?" But of course no one answered, since he was alone. He turned, and walked back out the door. There was island space all around the house. As he walked around, toward the back of the house, he got an intense feeling of loneliness. Don't be silly, Roy told himself. You've never really minded being alone before. But still, it did not disappear, only grew more powerful as he reached the back of the house.

There was a back door, and it hung open. There by the edge of the lake was a mostly-finished raft, with a wooden box on it.

Walking over to investigate, he became aware of an odour of fetid decay, coming from the wooden box. He drew closer and examined the box. Suddenly, he flinched back.

"A coffin!" he said. The wooden box was a coffin tied to the partially finished raft. So that's what happened to the occupants of the quickly left the raft. He walked toward the back door of the house.

Suddenly, wet footprints began to appear in front of him. Must be a ghost, Roy thought. He wasn't really frightened of ghosts. He'd heard of some before, and all they seemed to be able to do was moan. He was interested, though, so he began to follow the wet footprints. The led him through a kitchen, a dining room, up the stairs, and down the upstairs hallway.

Silhouetted in the dark of the last room, Roy saw a faint, wet person, seeming to be made of mists. Black hair hung, dripping, to her shoulders. A navy blue dress hung about the girl's frame. She stopped in the doorway, and turned slightly, to sneak a peek at the person following her. He saw dark eyes, dull with sorrow, and a thin, sallow face. She turned back, and continued on. He followed her into a cosy bedroom. There was a chest at the foot of a large bed, and a fireplace, and a rug before it. The there was a flickering fire in the fireplace, and the rug in front of it was becoming wet. The girl's misty outline was still faintly visible, seated on the rug before the fire, gazing into the flames.

Roy looked around. There was a book on the chest at the foot of the bed. He walked to it, gazed at the open page.

It was a picture. The girl was standing before the lake. There was a boy beside her. His arms were around her, and she was snuggled up to him, a peaceful smile on her face. "Who is this?" he asked. She said nothing.

Roy closed the book. On the front, it said, 'Rachel and Tristan Forever'. Roy looked through the book. Everywhere, there were pictures of the girl who's ghostly form was now visible on the rug, and a brown haired, brown eyed boy, holding each other and smiling. In one, he was putting a ring on her finger.

"He proposed to you," Roy said. The girl nodded. "Did you ever marry?" Roy asked her. She shook her head, not looking back.

He continued to look through the book. A woman, older than the couple, was in the next picture. She looked enough like the boy who Roy assumed to be Tristan to be his mother.

Suddenly, the girl, Rachel, looked up, around, panicked. She disappeared.

A voice sounded through the house. "Rachel! Rachel, where are you, girl?"

The woman in the picture stormed into the room. Brown hair and green eyes, a thin face, wearing a teal coloured band across her forehead. She was most certainly solid. She saw him. "Who are you?" she asked. "What brings you to our little corner of Literois?"

"Oh," said Roy. "I'm just looking for a key. I was sent here to find it, and I saw the coffin, and wet footprints led me here to see this." he held up the book. "Is Rachel the ghost girl?"

"Did you see her? Did she say anything to you?"

"She didn't say anything," said Roy.

"Hmm..." said the woman. "Well, I suppose that's alright. Don't listen to her, if she ever speaks. She can enchant people to believe whatever she says. Run along now, and go look for that key. I need to get changed."

Roy left the room. In the hallway, wet footprints began to appear again. "Rachel?" Roy whispered. The footprints continued on their way. He followed them down the hall and into a tiny room.

It had a little pallet on the floor, a candle, a table, and a book and pen. The window was open, and a breeze blew the book open.

Roy sat down at the table. It was in a loopy, messy hand.

_Dear diary_

_Tristan's mother has come to stay with us. I'm sure she's a perfectly pleasant person, but she seems not to like me at all. She's polite, even kind, when Tristan is around, but when he's not, she makes it clear that she thinks he can do better. She's probably right... I just hope he doesn't think so._

_We are to be married in two weeks. If that doesn't convince me Tristan really loves me, what will?_

_I must go. I have a wedding dress to make. I'm getting married!_

The breeze blew in again, flipping the pages. This page was stained with old tears.

_Dear diary,_

_My life is over. It must be, for I cannot live without him. He is gone, Dairy. Dead. My beloved, my star, my knight, my everything. I cannot live another day. I miss him so much. Three days. In three days we would have been married._

_His mother presided over his funeral. She tied his coffin to a raft, and sent him away over the lake, just out the back door. She says his body will follow the river to the sea, and his soul will follow the river to the spirit lands._

_She had to hold me back from climbing on the raft and sailing away with him._

_I will forever miss you, Tristan, my love, and I will remain here. I will wait for the day when I can sail away, and find you in heaven, for an angel you surely are._

The breeze fluttered several pages over, settling again on one page. It was headed, instead of 'dear diary', 'dear Tristan'.

_Dear Tristan,_

_Your mother is staying. No matter how I told her I wanted to be alone, she insisted. 'Oh, dear, you'll need someone to take care of you'. She has moved into what was once our room. 'The bed is too big for you, dear,' she said._

_I want to lie in our bed. I want to dream you're here so hard that I can feel you. I want to sing with you again, I want to hold you close._

_I miss you._

The breeze skipped across a couple more pages. It stopped on another.

_Dear Tristan,_

_She has put me in the servant's room. She is ruling over the house, and is about to be remarried. People come and go, none of them know me or recognise my grief. They all treat me like a servant, and your mother does nothing to tell them they're wrong. I clean the house, make meals, and cater to all these wretched people._

The breeze turned the pages again. The writing on this page was drooping and messy, worse than the usual.

_Dear Tristan,_

_Soon I will be with you. I am sick, my dear, and I do not think I will survive. Then, perhaps, someone will send my raft down the river, and I can sail to the sea... to you. I love you, dearest._

_I am too weary to write any more._

_Goodnight, and goodbye._

_~Rachel_

She appeared more solidly than before. "The coffin is yours," Roy guessed. Rachel nodded. "You died of the sickness, and then Tristan's mother never sent you on the lake." Rachel nodded. "Did you... build the raft?" Rachel nodded again, sadly. "But you can't finish it." Rachel shook her head.

"That's a sad story," said Roy. "I'm sorry all of these things happened to you. Maybe I can help you. If I finish off your raft, and push it out, then will you be able to sail?"

Rachel nodded excitedly. She bowed as one would to a king, her once sad face now delighted.

"Then I will," said Roy. "Meet me at the raft, and I'll help you sail. You don't have to be lonely anymore."

"Not so true," came a voice. Roy whirled around.

* * *

Bye.


	29. The Plan and Elyan

Hi everyone! I'm going to be here all morning (probably) because I have nothing better to do!

As for songs (which I am beginning to have a habit of using for these chapters) the beginning doesn't have one. But when you reach the line and afterwards everything is italics, that goes perfectly with Colourblind by Darius. Seriously! Look it up! It's the _best song ever_!

Shall we?

* * *

There was the woman, Tristan's mother. Rachel backed up, terror in her eyes, until her back touched the wall. Roy noticed she was shaking. With fear?

"Foolish boy! Don't you remember what I said? Stay away from her! She's a spellweaver, an enchantress! She'll ensnare you with a word and kill you, just as she did to my son!"

"Her diary said something different," said Roy. "Your son died of natural causes, and that you never sent her coffin out to sea."

"Her diary," the woman laughed. "Fake. It's all part of her web of lies. People have come here before, looking for this very key you search for. All of them have taken pity on her sob story, and then she has killed them. What did she say to you?"

Rachel shook her head. He saw her eyes fill with tears. She rubbed her eyes as the tears started to fall. She continued to shake her head desperately.

"Don't take pity on her tears," said Tristan's mother. "She's an expert at fake-crying. Come on. I'll help you find your key." Her words took on a strange tone. "Don't listen to her lies. She'll try to kill you."

Roy looked at Rachel, growing confused. Something in the woman's voice sounded like truth. He took a step away from Rachel. She shook her head and reached out. He stepped back again.

"That's right," said Tristan's mother. "Don't worry." She turned to Rachel, sending a venomous look her way. Rachel looked helplessly at Roy for a moment, then dissolved.

"What did she say to you?" Tristan's mother asked gently.

"She said..." Roy searched his mind. "She said... nothing."

"What?" the woman asked. "Nothing? Not a 'hello', or a 'help me'?"

"No," said Roy, his mind slowly becoming clearer. It was as if a fog was lifted from his brain, letting him see the truth. "She didn't say a thing. When I asked her a question, she answered by nodding or shaking her head. She walked without talking. She didn't say anything! Even if she had that power," Roy turned on the woman, "she didn't use it!" He pulled out his sword. "But, if I'm right... you did!"

The woman's face was overcome with anger. "I did no such thing!" she screeched. Roy moved forward with the sword, not listening.

"Fool!" she said. "Scraps of iron do nothing to me. If you like the girl so much, you can join her!" She pointed one hand at him, and the other started to glow. Roy began to feel dizzy. His sight started to fade. He felt himself fall backwards, and he felt like he fell forever.

Roy opened his eyes. He was lying on the pallet in the little servant room. The world around him was blurry, dark. Rachel was sitting, cross-legged, next to him. He could see her more clearly than anything else in the room, and she almost seemed to glow. She smiled to see him awake, but there was sadness in it.

"So there's another now, is there?" came a voice. Roy leapt to his feet and turned around. There were three people standing behind him. All of them were exceptionally clear and seemed to glow as well.

"Wha... what happened?" Roy asked. "Who are you?"

"We're the others who have come searching for the key," said the one who had spoken, a young man with brown hair and blue eyes. He was dressed in white, and had white wings. "We all met Rachel and tried to help her. But then that witch found out, and turned us into spectres."

"So..." said Roy, "I'm a ghost?"

"Pretty much," he replied. "I'm Pit, by the way." he smiled.

"Roy," said Roy. He turned to Rachel. "Can you really make anything you say sound like truth?" he asked. Rachel nodded, then looked down.

"That's why she doesn't talk," said a little girl with blond hair and dark eyes. "She doesn't want to deceive anyone, even by accident. I'm... Celia."

Another girl, older than Celia, with purple hair, smiled at Roy. "Mia," she said. "Do you... do you by any chance know a man, blue hair, red cape, named Ike?"

"Yeah," said Roy, "I know Ike."

"Thank the Goddess," said Mia. "He's okay. He went missing a while ago, and I went looking for him and ended up here. Where is he?"

"He's helping my friends on our mission," said Roy.

"How come he gets all the fun?" Mia asked sulkily. "Well, anyway, the crazy lady has the ability too. I think she made Rachel teach her."

Rachel nodded.

"Well," said Roy, "Does anyone know how we could defeat her?"

"Regular weapons don't work," said Pit.

"She's too fast for my acid," said Celia. "I'm sure I could hit her, if only she were distracted."

"Acid?" asked Roy.

"Um, yes," Celia said. "It's the only spell I can cast. Acid Arrow. If I had my spell book I could probably cast Light Spear too, but it's not too effective." she blushed. "I'm not exactly the best mage in the universe."

"It's OK, Celia," Pit said. "It'll be enough. And when you get home, just study harder."

Mia put in, "My sword went right through her. I'm guessing she needs some sort of magic weapon to even hit her."

Roy smiled. "Magic like this?" he asked. He concentrated, and flames began to build up along the edge of his sword.

Mia smiled. It was an evil smile. "Magic exactly like that," she said.

* * *

_He stood on the hill, looking down at the sunset. Another day over. Another day of running from his counterpart... from... Sael? It was the name she had claimed. Somehow, it suited her._

_The sunset held his gaze. It was as if he couldn't look away. He didn't know why, but it gave him a sort of lightness inside to look at it. He wasn't sure what it was - he'd never felt it before._

_Suddenly, he felt a terrible weight replace the lightness in his chest. It was like his heart was sinking down into his stomach. He felt sickened._

_Sael peered out from behind the tree. Her counterpart had his back turned, was watching the sunset. He seemed more relaxed than she'd ever seen him. Roy had said to let him think. Maybe he was thinking._

_Suddenly, he bent forward, as if under some great weight. Sael ran forward. He was hurting!_

_Just as he began to turn around to face her, her foot caught on something. A root, perhaps. With a cry, her feet came out from under her. Her counterpart watched, shocked, as she flew forward, slammed into him._

_The two went tumbling, head over heels. They landed in the soft grass at the base of the hill. Sael giggled._

_Looking up at Sael, her face transformed, filled with joy, he felt a the lightness spread through his whole body. His face twitched into a smile, and he felt his shoulders shake. A sound came out of him that he didn't quite understand._

_Seeing him laughing, Sael's eyes went wide. "You're laughing!" she said._

_"I am?" he asked._

_"Yes!" she cried._

_A smile still on his face, he looked at himself. "So that's what this is. Counterpart... Sael," he said. "Is this what it is to be 'more'?"_

_Sael nodded. "Do you like it?"_

_He cocked his head. "Yes, I believe I do," he said. "Strange, I am sure this should be activating my safety catch, but it isn't."_

_"Nope!" Sael said. "You don't have a safety catch anymore. You're not a machine! Not a controller, not an operator, nothing! You're you." Her face was full of something soft and gentle._

_"So this is what it's like..." he said._

_"Mmhmm," said Sael. "It's... nice, isn't it?"_

_"Yes," he said. "Very new, but nice."_

_"Counterpart, do you want a name?" Sael asked._

_"A name?" he asked. "One of my own?"_

_"Yes," Sael said. "Do you want one?"_

_"Yes!" he said._

_"How about..." she said. She thought a moment. "Elyan?"_

_"Elyan?" he asked. A smile grew over his face. He liked it a lot._

_"Do you want to be Elyan?" Sael asked._

_"Yes," Elyan said._

_Sael dropped her head to his shoulder, sighing with happiness._

_Elyan felt a warmth spread through him. He, acting on pure instinct, put his arms around Sael. She snuggled closer to his chest._

_The sun set behind them as they held each other close._

* * *

Squee. ^.^


	30. Cleansing Rain

Hi there! This one doesn't have a song that I can think of, as there's not really a particular mood.

Whatever. Enjoy!

* * *

"Ok," said Roy. "We need to turn solid again." They stood together in the bare little servant room, talking in low voices.

"A break enchantment spell might work," said Celia. She looked down. "I have a modified one written in my spell book, but I can't cast it."

"A modified one?" Roy asked. Celia nodded.

"Are the words and way of casting different?" Pit asked.

Celia nodded again. "It's the druid version. Cleansing rain."

"Do you think our resident witch would recognise it?" Roy asked, a plan beginning to form in his mind. He wasn't usually much of a planner, but this one seemed workable.

"No," said Celia. "She isn't a druid, she's an arcane magic user. I can tell by the power behind her words. Thankfully that's the first thing they teach us in mage school."

"There we go," said Roy. "All you have to do to cast it is say words, right?"

"Right," said Celia. "And spell words can be written a hundred different ways."

"So," said Roy, "Rachel brings her a slip of paper with the words on it, saying... saying you're feverish and babbling them. She says them out loud, and the spell is automatically cast. Would that work?"

Celia cocked her head. "I think... I think it would! But... I don't remember the words."

"But," said Mia, "they're written in your spellbook, right?"

"Yes," said Celia, "but the witch took my book when I became a spectre."

Rachel looked up. She seemed exited. She waved them to follow her, and set off on a fast pace down the stairs of the house.

"I think Rachel knows where your spell book is," Pit said.

The group followed her at a run.

Rachel led them down the stairs, out the back door. They passed her raft. She led them to a trap door, half-buried in the sand, pulled it gently open. She beckoned to them, then climbed down the ladder.

"Come on," said Mia. She climbed down, followed by Celia and Pit. Roy came last.

Rachel was waiting for them. In the darkness, she glowed even more brightly. Roy decided that it was probably because he was made of the same stuff as her now, and guessed that he looked the same.

They were in a cave-like place, seemingly carved out of the bedrock of the island. It wasn't wet or dripping, but it still reminded Roy of the tunnels under the Mansion. He grimaced.

Rachel put a finger to her lips and moved toward the wall. She sidled along it, not making a sound. The others followed suit.

Rachel peeked around the corner, then flinched back.

'What is it?' Roy mouthed. She pointed.

Roy peeked around the corner. There was a dragon about as long as he was tall, dozing in front of the door. It was iridescent and silver, with purple eyes staring straight ahead. Its spined tail swished back and forth along the floor. Its small wings were tucked against its back. It had very sharp teeth.

Rachel pointed to the dragon, and drew her finger across her throat, then pointed to the group. Her message was clear. The dragon would kill them if they went near.

She pointed to the group, then closed her eyes. She faded out of Roy's sight, except for the glowing energy aura around her.

"She says go invisible," Pit whispered to Roy. Celia and Mia were doing that as they spoke.

"How?" Roy hissed back.

"Oh, right, you don't know how. What you do, is make an image of yourself fading out of existence, just turning into light, like Rachel did."

Roy imagined himself fading into a glowing light as Rachel had. He felt strangely light-headed and warm.

"Roy, what are you doing?" Pit hissed.

"I'm turning invisible," whispered Roy. "Am I doing it wrong?"

"You're a willow-the-wisp!" said Pit. "You're a fire spirit!" a grin came over his rapidly disappearing face.

"Is that good?" Roy asked.

"Well, it works," said Pit. "The dragon won't bother you."

"This dragon won't," Celia's voice came out of thin air. "It's a silver dragon. They can't even _see_ willow-the-wisps. Are you Fire-clan, Roy?"

"Huh?" asked Roy.

"Fire-clan," said Celia, "Are the only people who can turn into willow-the-wisps. Fire-clan blood can pop up almost anywhere, but usually the shapeshift needs to be taught. You must have fire-clan magic, and very strong fire-clan magic at that."

Rachel put her finger to her lips again, and Celia fell silent. All invisible now, the group followed Rachel through the larger room. She smacked the dragon on the nose with her fist, and it moved out of the way of the door. Rachel opened it, and the group followed her inside.

The walls of the room were stone, but they were much more smoothly carved than the wooden ones. Three runes were carved in the back of the wooden door. "Anti-eavesdropping runes," Celia whispered. The dragon looked around, but dropped its head back to the floor when it saw no one but Rachel.

The shelves were full of magic items. Celia, after Rachel had closed the door, immediately became visible. She rushed around the room, looking like her birthday had come early.

"Wow!" she said. "I've never seen such a workshop! The _headmistress_ of my Mage school doesn't have a workshop like this!" She went to a table, picked up a small white book. "Phew," she said, clutching it close to her. "I'm never letting this thing out of my sight again. I feel completely helpless without it."

"So," said Roy. "Time to begin the plan. First we go back to that room." Everyone but Rachel went invisible, and the group followed her back to her bedroom.

First, everyone became visible. They laid Celia down on the pallet. She put on an expression of blank suffering.

Mia found a cloth, wetted it in the bin of water, and put it on her forehead. Roy and Pit sat down beside her.

"It's on page six," Celia said. Roy opened her spell book, turned it to the right page. There was only one spell on it. He handed it to Rachel.

"Copy it onto a scrap of paper, and write down that Celia is ill and babbling," he said. Rachel did as he directed. "Now take it to her."

Rachel left the room with the paper. "Hide my spell book," said Celia. "We don't want her to know we took it."

Roy picked up the white book and placed it under Celia's pillow. "There," he said.

"Celia," said Mia. "Thrash around and pretend to be in pain. Roy, help me hold her down."

Roy obeyed, pinning one of Celia's arms to the pallet. Mia did the same to her other arm.

The witch came rushing into the room, Rachel fast on her heels. Celia thrashed and mumbled the words to the spell.

"She just started sweating and thrashing," said Pit, "and she was shouting those words."

"It might be..." muttered the witch. "Write down everything she says, and I might let you go." she left the room, and Roy heard her sounding out the words.

Celia stopped thrashing and smiled. "The spell is activated," she said. "Everybody, get outside!"

The group rushed outside. Celia smiled as the rain soaked her to the bone, bringing her physical form back with every moment. Mia and Pit similarly reappeared.

Roy stepped out into the rain, cried out, and dropped to the ground. Every raindrop felt like ice on his skin, and he felt as if he was being stabbed with a thousand needles. He was cold... so cold...

"Roy!" shouted Celia.

"What's happening?" Pit asked.

"Block the rain!" Celia shouted. "It's hurting him!"

Pit stood over Roy and spread his wings. Mia pulled off her cloak and draped it over him.

"The spell should end soon," said Celia. She knelt by Roy. "Roy, what happened?"

Roy began to catch his breath as the pain receded. "Rain... Felt like... ice..." he panted. "It hurt to feel..."

"You're fire clan," said Celia. "And this spell is slightly water-aligned. You're very, very fire aligned, so the cleansing Rain hurts you. I'm sorry, I should have thought of it earlier. It could have killed you!"

As the rain stopped, Roy sat up. "That's ok, Celia," he said. "You couldn't have known. _I_ didn't know it would do that to me."

"Are you alright?" Mia asked worriedly.

"I'm fine now," said Roy. "And I think I'm not a spectre anymore. So we can continue with our plan."

Pit put out a hand and helped Roy to his feet. Roy stood for a moment, stretching, as the last weakness in his limbs disappeared. "Alright," said Roy. "I'm fine. Let's go."

"So what's the plan?" Mia asked.

"We need to hit her with magic weapons," said Celia. "I have my acid arrow, and Roy has his flaming sword. So a trap would be the best way to go."

"Let me guess," said Pit. "The non magical people are going to be the bait." he sighed. "And, for once, I'm a non magical person. Stupid arrows."

"I hadn't thought of that," said Celia.

"I had," said Roy. "Here's the plan..."

* * *

Review, please! Tell me how I'm doing?


	31. Sail

Hi everyone! This one doesn't exactly have a song either, except the last bit. When Roy promises to help Rachel sail, near the end, then the song 'Home' by Angela Aki is perfect.

Enjoy!

* * *

Mia and Pit stood just inside the doorway of the room. "Ready?" Mia whispered.

"Yeah," said Pit. "... ok, here she comes. Let's go."

Mia and Pit strode boldly out of the room, their weapons at the ready. "We're not spectres anymore, witch!" Mia shouted.

"And you can't deceive us anymore," said Pit. "We know who's good."

"Go!" Mia hissed. The two attacked in synchronized patterns. Their blades went right through her.

"Ha!" the woman said. "You think your pitiful weapons can hit me?"

A look of horror crossed Mia's face, and she saw an identical look on Pit's. "Run!" she screamed. Pit spread his wings and Mia ran alongside him, dodging blasts of magic.

"Plan B! Plan B!" called Pit, as they ran though the hallways. "She's too strong!"

Mia grabbed Pit's hand and pulled him down one hall. The witch, hot on their heels, followed. Suddenly, the two skidded to a halt. A dead end.

"Damn!" Mia shouted. "Cornered!" she looked at her friend. "Sorry, Pit."

He smiled back. "It's OK, Mia."

The woman raised her hands, and they started to glow. Mia and Pit stepped back, their backs against the wall. She moved forward a step.

Suddenly, she swerved to the right, as a green arrow shot past her. Then another. She moved more to the right.

"Why... Can't... I... HIT?" Celia shouted between arrows.

"Doesn't matter," said Roy from the shadows of a doorway. "I can." and he brought his sword down in a swinging arc of fire. It went through her neck, but she screamed. She shouted, "You'll never get off this island!" Then, she dissipated into nothingness. With a rattle, a gold key fell to the ground. Roy picked it up.

Celia laughed. "Yes! You did it!"

Roy grinned. "We did," he said. "And I found the key I needed!" he put it in his pocket.

Mia grinned. "You know, I think 'ding dong the witch is dead' would be an appropriate song here."

"Where did you hear that?" Pit asked.

Mia thought for a moment. "You know what? I have no clue."

"Well, that's not strange at all," said Celia, smiling slightly.

The group looked at each other for a moment. "You know," said Roy, "We're free. You guys can go home."

"We can!" Celia said. She smiled brightly. "I've been stuck here for a year. I can go back to my brother."

"Two months," said Mia. "I've got to get back to the group and tell them Ike's OK."

"Three weeks," said Pit. He looked down.

"What's wrong?" Mia asked.

"Patulena won't be happy. All my light-arrows are broken, and it takes her captain a lot of effort to make them." He picked up half of an arrow from a shelf, looking sad.

Mia walked over and examined them. "You know," she said, "I've got some friends who might be able to fix these."

"You could?" Pit asked, his face lighting up with hope.

"Sure," said Mia. "Come back with me, and I'll ask Rolf and Rhys to help. Your quiver will be full in no time!"

"Thanks," said Pit.

"No problem," said Mia.

Rachel walked into the room. She looked at the floor, and looked around. A smile appeared on her face. She hugged each of them, though they only felt a slight heat when she touched them.

"Let's go!" said Roy. The group made their way down to the docks.

The little boat that they all remembered using to come to the island was gone. "Oh no," said Mia. "How are we going to get home?"

Pit went over to the house. After looked questioningly at Rachel, who nodded, he sliced away part of the wall, and put it in the water. "That's how," he said. "Tada! Instant raft."

Mia climbed on and sat down in the centre. "Wow," she said. "It works!" Celia climbed on, and Pit alighted in the centre as well.

"Come on, Roy," said Mia.

"Actually," said Roy, "I have something to do first. Just set the raft afloat, and the current will bring it back to the island."

"Ok," said Mia, looking doubtful. Roy pushed their raft into the current, and they floated away, calling goodbye to Roy and Rachel.

Rachel looked at Roy questioningly.

"I promised to help you sail, remember?" Roy said. "Come on. We have a raft to finish."

Rachel smiled, led him to the raft she had built. Roy helped her float the driftwood to the raft and tie it on. It was light work, but they got rather wet doing it.

"One last knot," said Roy. "Would you like to do the honours?"

Rachel picked up the rope and tied a knot. She smiled and hugged Roy. But when she turned around, the rope was slack again. Rachel tied another knot, watching it carefully this time. The rope held for a second, then dissolved through itself and came untied.

Rachel looked dully at the knot, her shoulders drooping.

"Let me try," said Roy. He took the rope and tied a knot. The same thing happened. "The rope's been spelled. But watch this." He reached into his backpack and pulled out a roll of bandages. He unrolled part of it, and tied it around the raft. It was secure.

Rachel hugged Roy again. Smiling, she got onto the raft. Roy pushed the raft out into the lake, and the current began to carry it away.

Rachel stood on the raft, waving goodbye.

"Good luck!" Roy called.

Rachel smiled, then turned away and faced out toward her destination.

* * *

Yayy! That's the end of the second plot arc today! ^.^ I love 'Home'. Such a beautiful song... even though I don't speak Japanese. I wish I did. Oh well. ^_^


	32. Questions

Hallo! ^.^ There's no song for this one, so just read an enjoy!

* * *

"... and then she sailed away. After that, I just went back around and rode the raft that the others had taken. Pit had set it afloat, and the current had brought it back."

"Quite a story," said Marth.

"Yeah," said Roy. He looked around. "Where's everyone else?"

"Asleep, I think," said Marth. "Except for Samus, she's on watch."

"Why are you still awake, then?" Roy asked.

Marth shrugged. "I don't know. I was thinking."

Roy sat down beside his friend. "About?"

"Where this is going. What if the Master Hand isn't in the Final Destination? What if we can't defeat him? And afterward... what then?"

Roy instantly understood what the problem was. "You don't know what to do next."

Marth nodded. "My home here is gone. Destroyed."

"There's other things to see," said Roy. "There are places to go. But you don't need to decide that now, do you? Right now, we have plenty to do. We have a tyranny to overturn, remember? And we can't exactly do that on no sleep."

Marth laughed. "Good point."

"Thank you," said Roy. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm tired. 'Night, Marth." He lay down on his bedroll and closed his eyes.

"Goodnight, Roy," said Marth. He closed his own eyes, and found sleep at last.

Samus stared at the stars, then looked around. She walked to a new spot in the camp, and looked around again. All was silent.

Suddenly, a quiet noise pierced the night. A tiny sob.

Samus looked around. A small pile of blanket was shaking slightly. Samus walked over, pulled the little blanket down.

Nana, in a pink nightgown, was curled up in a ball. Her pillow was stained with tears, and her back still heaved.

"Nana?" whispered Samus.

Nana looked up, rubbing her red eyes.

"What's wrong?" Samus asked.

"I had a bad dream," said Nana. She reached her arms out, and Samus picked her up, placing the little girl on her shoulders.

"What happened?" Samus asked, standing up.

"Everybody went through the doors 'cept me an' Popo," said Nana, "and they told us to wait here, and we did, and they never came back. Then Popo went to go find them, but I couldn't go with him, and I was all by myself," said Nana. "And then the Master Hand came and chased me."

"Don't worry," said Samus. "It's just a dream. That won't happen."

"I don't wanna be by myself," said Nana. "I never wanna be by myself."

"You won't have to be," said Samus. "Remember, we're all here. There will always be people here to be with you."

Samus felt small arms come around her neck. "Samus?"

"Yes?"

"I wanna be strong like you. How come you're so brave? Nobody scares you."

Samus almost laughed out loud. "Nana, that's not true. Plenty of things scare me. Why do you think I wore that suit? I wore it the way you hid under the blankets. It kept out bad things. It was my hiding place from monsters, and from my own fears."

"Is that like being shy?" Nana asked. "Is that why you pretended to be a boy?"

Samus thought a moment. "You know, that's absolutely right," she said. "Safe in my armour, I didn't need to let anybody in. Nothing could scare the unbeatable orange knight, with her superhuman abilities and her blaster cannon. Nobody expected anything else out of me but fighting skills."

"Why'd you take it off?" Nana asked.

"It broke," said Samus. "I was angry then, but now I'm glad of it. I'm happy it's broken. It gave me a chance to come out and really be myself."

"Isn't it scary?" Nana asked.

Samus laughed. "Yes," she said. "It's very scary. But you can smell the air and feel the grass, see the world more firsthand. It might be scary coming out of your shell, but trust me, the air is much sweeter out here."

"And the company?" came a questioning voice. Samus whirled around to see Ike, his cape and hair rumpled from sleep.

"Ike! Have you been spying on us?" Samus asked.

"Not really," said Ike. "I woke up, heard voices, and found you two." he walked over. "What're you talking about?"

"It's a private conversation," Samus said.

"Yeah!" added Nana. "No boys aloud!"

"Well," said Ike. He spoke in an affronted tone, but his eyes twinkled. "I wouldn't want to interrupt your valuable 'girl talk'. You know, I once walked into a room, where Mist, Titania, and Mia were talking? I got a tongue-lashing the likes of none. I still remember what my father said. 'Ike, don't try to understand them. You'll fail, and the effort will drive you nuts.' He's right. You people are beyond me."

"Well, of course we are," said Samus. "Any man who thinks he understands girls is probably a sissy."

Ike laughed. "Good point."

"Yes it was," said Samus, with a mischievous smile. "Now go away."

"Yeah!" Nana echoed, laughing.

Ike sighed and made a show of walking away. "Farewell, fair ladies. If I had a hat, I'd tip it." His words made Nana laugh again.

"See you in the morning," said Samus, laughing a little herself. When Ike was out of sight, she pulled Nana off of her shoulders. "Feeling better?"

"Yeah," said Nana. Her face was split with a huge yawn. "I'm kinda tired now."

Samus carried the little girl back to her bedroll, and tucked her in. "Good night, Nana."

"'night, Samus!" Nana said, curling up in her bed. She was almost immediately asleep.

Samus made another circle around the camp, deep in thought, until Captain Falcon came to relieve her.

* * *

You know what band is awesome? Lemon Demon, that's what band is awesome. ^.^

You know what forum is awesome? Smash Mind: the Official Forum is awesome. ^_^

You know what else is awesome? Reviewing is awesome! BD


	33. Capture

This next plot arc has a song all it's own. In fact, this song inspired me to write the plot arc! "You Can't Take Me" by Bryan Adams.

Enjoy!

* * *

Zelda started awake, breathing hard. _Just a nightmare_, she thought. She forced herself to breathe deeply, slowly, feeling her hands shake. _It's just a nightmare. They're _fine_._

She stared at the fading stars, as her heartbeat eased back to its normal speed.

She felt herself calm down. But when she closed her eyes, images of the dream appeared in her mind. _I'm never going to get back to sleep,_ she thought.

She got to her feet, and went to her pack. Pulling her bottle out of it, she took a long drink of water.

Suddenly, a little fairy came flitting through the camp, calling out in ancient Hylian. _"Help me!"_ the little fairy screamed. _"They're being taken! All of them! Somebody help me!"_

"Who's being taken?" asked Zelda, running over to the fairy. The little creature collapsed, exhausted, into Zelda's hand. Then she looked up.

_"Lady Zelda!"_ the fairy gasped.

"Calm down," said Zelda, "Or you'll faint." She knew flying was exhausting for fairies, and that they were prone to hyperventilation when they were stressed or afraid.

She felt a tiny breeze on her hand as the fairy took deep breaths.

"Good," said Zelda. "Now, what's your name?"

_"Rani, My Lady,"_ said the fairy.

"Rani," said Zelda. "What's the matter?"

_"I'm from a fairy fountain nearby,"_ Rani said. _"We were told to watch for the Hero and the Lady and bring them fairy water. Except... the fairy fountain is being raided. All the fairies are being put into magic bottles and taken away, and all the fairy water was drained away into a tub. I escaped while they were cleaning up a spill of the water. They want to keep it from you because it will help you get rid of... The Dark One."_

_The dark one..._ Zelda thought. I_s she talking about Ganondorf, or Dark Zelda? Probably Dark Zelda, Ganondorf isn't being much trouble right now._ "Where is the fountain?" she asked.

_"I'll show you,"_ said Rani.

_I'll see what's wrong,_ Zelda decided, _and if it's bad, I'll come back and get Link._ "Lead the way. Are there any of the people left?"

_"Yes,"_ said Rani.

"Then stealth will be needed," said Zelda. "Give me a second, Rani."

Zelda summoned up her magic for the familiar change. She felt a wind whip around her as her appearance changed, along with her clothes. Her long hair twisted into a braid.

When the wind died down, a slim young Sheikah, face concealed, hair coming out of the back in a long braid, stood there.

Rani tinkled in surprise.

"Alright," Zelda said in the habitual low voice that came with the disguise. "Lead on, Rani. No one will see me like this."

_"It's this way, my..."_ Rani trailed off.

"Sheik is the name of this persona," said Zelda, still in the low voice. "It's not too inventive, but it works."

_"Okay, Sheik,"_ said Rani._ "Follow me!"_

Rani floated through the forest, Zelda following silently behind.

She smiled. She loved the burst of energy transforming into Sheik gave her. The outfit allowed easy movement and was comfortable, and she felt no need to be ladylike dressed like this.

_"They're right ahead,"_ whispered Rani.

She nodded. "Time for a little reconnaissance. Stay here." She slipped away from Rani and crept around the clearing.

There were a great many Wire Frames carrying tanks, boxes, and bottles. They moved on their own, but there was a screen nearby, in full view of them. A picture of a pale woman with white-blonde hair was on it. Zelda could see from a glance that she was much older than Sael. Her hair was wavy and reached just to her shoulders, and she had slightly heavy-lidded blue eyes. The woman was watching the Wire Frames with a blank expression and occasionally issuing commands in an emotionless voice.

Zelda shuddered. Monsters didn't scare her, not even Ganondorf scared her anymore. He, at least, clearly showed emotions, even if said emotions were usually scorn or frustration. This cold woman made her shudder.

Suddenly, the woman's eyes locked on Zelda's. "Heat signature detected. Quadrant eight-seven-two. Wire Frames, subdue with non-lethal force."

Immediately, ten Wire Frames turned from their work and moved toward Zelda.

She pulled a pair of needles out of a pocket, threw them with deadly accuracy. Two Wire Frames dropped to the ground. The rest mobbed her.

One caught her by the leg and dragged her out of hiding. She let it drag her into the centre of the Wire Frames, then lashed out with a circle of fire.

The Wire Frames were sent flying.

Zelda grinned. "Can't take _me_," she said in a low voice.

More began to gather. But then, the same emotionless voice issued through the clearing.

"Magic User detected. Distance weaponry. Initiate Manoeuver MD-5."

The Wire Frames stood in a circle just beyond the range of her fire. She grinned and took out her needles.

Suddenly, a blast of blue light hit her in the chest. It changed to a solid bar of energy.

Zelda froze. She had no choice. She couldn't move, couldn't use magic.

Suddenly, the woman appeared in front of her. It was the one who had been on the screen. Still Zelda couldn't move.

The woman walked toward Zelda. A glowing hand was pushed through her.

A tiny part of Zelda's mind, the part that liked to make strange observations at all the wrong times, said, _you know, if I wasn't busy wondering what she was doing and how to stop her, I'd be shouting 'you freak, get away from me!' and wondering where to kick her._

She felt an iron grip on her heart. Shock filled her. _She's trying to take my heart!_

Zelda's thoughts raced. What could she do?

Suddenly, it hit her. Of course. _Link._

—

Link woke up. He felt something coursing through him. It emanated from the bond he shared with Zelda.

His hands came up of their own accord, cupping in front of him. Something shining and beautiful appeared in them. It was full of swirling jewel-like colours, and glowed. He'd never seen it before in his life, and yet something about it was as familiar as his own sword.

Link stared in wonder. _What is it?_

Navi floated out of his hat. _"What's the-"_ She froze and stared at the glowing thing in Link's hands. _"That's... that's- that's Zelda's heart!"_

"What?" Link asked. "Zelda's heart?""Not the one that beats. It's more like her soul. But it resides in her heart."

"So why is it appearing here?" Link asked.

_"She must have sent it to you, through the bond that you have."_

He stared at it. "It's... beautiful." He smiled.

He noticed, in one corner, there was something black stuck to it. The place where it touched had faded slightly. Dulled.

"What's that?"

Navi flew closer to it. _"It must be the Dark Zelda."_

Link stared. Then he moved a finger toward it_. "No, Link! Don't touch it! If you take it off without patching it up with light, her heart will bleed! It needs to be purged, not pulled off."_

Link moved his hand back to supporting the other side of the heart. "What do I do?"

_"Hold on to her heart. Protect it. If she sent it to you, it must be in danger."_

Marth ran across camp to stand beside Link. "What's that?" he looked closer. "That's a heart!" His eyes widened. "Where did you get..."

Link nodded. "Navi says it's Zelda's. She sent it through our magic bond."

Marth's eyes widened. "She must be in trouble."

_"I can go look for her,"_ said Navi. _"I can find her, heart or no. Then I'll tell you where she is."_

"Go," Link said. "Quickly." He sat down, holding the heart in his hands. He closed his eyes, and he felt as if Zelda was right there. He opened them, and there was nothing.

Navi flew off as fast as she could.

—

Zelda became dizzy. She shuddered, and the world swirled around her.

_I must really like being captured or something,_ said the part of her that really didn't know when to shut up._ How many times is this?_

* * *

Teehee. I like that line at the end. Doesn't fit with the mood, but what can I say?

This is what I can say.

**_REVIEW!_**


	34. Fighting Together

This one also has the same song as the last. Now, last time I put this up, someone told me my OC Mark had no personality. So I tried to fix that one a little, and also gave him an appearance other than 'brown hair'.

Not as long as the last, but oh well.

Enjoy!

* * *

"Are you alright?"

"Mmm?" Zelda opened her eyes. A young, brown-haired man knelt by her. His skin was tanned, his light brown hair tied behind his head. His hazel eyes were filled with concern. "Are you alright?" he asked quietly.

"I'm fine," she said, making sure to use Sheik's voice. Suddenly, she sat up, looked around. She felt nothing inside of her. Only emptiness.

She clapped her hands to her chest. "What's going on? There's nothing there! Just... a hole..."

"What's wrong?" the young man asked. "What's empty?"

"Oh," Zelda said. "I remember. I was captured by the Wire Frames. Then, a blond woman came and tried to take my heart by force... so I sent it to Link. That's why I don't feel anything..."

"Don't feel _anything_?" he asked.

"That's right," Zelda said. "It's like there's a hole inside me."

"Hole... in me..." he whispered, looking pensive.

"Where are we?" Zelda asked.

"In a prison, I think," said the young man. "My name's Mark. What's yours?"

"Sheik," Zelda said. "Why did they lock you up?"

He shrugged. "I was wandering around, thinking. I... have to write a song, and dreams always give good inspiration. So I was wandering around here, looking for something to inspire me. But then I walked into a clearing, saw those purple glowing things moving some boxes and tanks. They grabbed me and dragged me here. Funny, it feels like I've been sitting here for hours and I haven't woken up yet." He looked at the floor as he spoke, shuffled one foot. Was he ashamed of being captured in his own dream?

Zelda bent her head, resting it on her knees. She'd never felt so empty before. She scarcely felt anything at all, just a strange melancholy.

The thought of Link forced her to her feet. "Mark," she said. "If you stay here, you'll never wake up. And if I stay here long enough for them to find out who I really am, they'll kill me. So we need to get out."

"Who you are?" Mark asked.

In answer, Zelda lifted the shroud that blocked her face. "I'm not all I seem," she said in her own voice.

Mark nodded. A flash of comprehension crossed his face, quickly replaced by a mystified look. "So how do we get out?"

Zelda checked her pockets. "They took my needles and my hookshot."

"Is that a 'hook shot'?" Mark asked, pointing to the wall.

Zelda looked up. Yes, her hookshot was hanging on the wall. "So we just need to get at it."

"Would a stick help?" Mark asked.

Zelda smiled. "Yes, a stick would help a lot."

"I have longer arms," Mark said. "Let me." he reached with the stick towards the hookshot on the wall. He slid the stick into the handle of the hookshot, and drew the hookshot back. Zelda noticed that he kept it level and still, even on the other end of the thin stick. _That takes strength,_ she thought, impressed.

—

Link sat cross-legged, holding Zelda's heart in his hands. Navi had not returned. Marth had woken the rest of the group, and they were packing everything up. Worry clutched at Link's stomach, both for Navi and Zelda.

"You OK?" Ike asked, walking over.

"I'm alright," Link said.

"Don't worry too much," said Ike. "Zelda's strong. She'll be alright. Navi'll find her, and we'll go after her and rescue her." He smiled slightly.

"I know," said Link.

Ike bent over the heart. "Doesn't it look a little odd?"

Link leaned closer. A blackness was spreading over Zelda's heart, emanating from the black bit stuck to one side. "Oh no," Link said. "It's trying to take her over while she's not there to stop it."

Ike froze. "Oh, damn," he said. "What do we do?"

Link took the heart and held it close to him. He closed his eyes and felt Zelda's presence again. It was as if she called out to him. The darkness spread further.

"Link? I think we should do something... _now_..."

—

"Uh... hey Sheik? Are you alright?" Mark asked from behind her. "Your leg looks kind of strange..."

Zelda looked down. Darkness was spreading up her body.

She swore. And since the struggle against the darkness was rooted in her heart, she could do nothing.

_Link,_ she thought desperately. _I need your help._

—

Link felt the closeness of Zelda. It was as if she was next to him.

A light lit the darkness of the back of his eyelids. Zelda appeared in front of him, surrounded with fairies. She glowed with their light_."Link," she called. "I need your help. You have my heart, so I can't do a thing. Hold my heart close, and use our bond. Since you have my heart, I can't do anything about it. I need you to use our bond to chase away the darkness, or it will never leave."_

Link smiled at her. "I'll do it," he said. He opened his eyes, held the heart close. His eyes drifted closed again, and he felt Zelda. This time, she knelt by him, her slim arms around his shoulders. He felt her strength flow into him, and he wielded it against the darkness inside her.

—

Suddenly, a wave of emotion crashed through Zelda. She gasped as it tore through her, filling her with light.

It drained away quickly, leaving one impression. She wasn't alone. The thought made her gasp in delight. Link had given support before, encouraging her, holding her, inspiring her, but now, he was _in_ her, his heart bound to hers, fighting the darkness along with her. He wasn't just her fiancé. He wasn't just someone she was in love with. Link was a _part_ of her, and the two were a part of a love that had gone on for all time and would continue forever. The knowledge gave her a glow of warmth and affection inside that replaced the emptiness.

She opened her eyes, feeling him close to her. She turned and smiled at Mark. "It's fine now. Let's go." Then she picked up her hookshot and fired it at the door.

It burst open with the force of the weapon.

Zelda smiled again. "Follow me," she said.

* * *

Zelink = 3.

Honestly, no matter how many times I may joke about OTP, (One True Pairing) Zelink is mine. For _real_.

And anybody who has read 'reincarnation' (if you like fantasy/romance books, I reccomend it) will get my homage to it in that last scene.

**_REVIEW!_**


	35. Can't Take Me

Yes, Mark is a bit different this time. Is this foreshadowing, or am I just being cruel? :D I'm not telling.

Just for safety's sake, I own next to nothing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Link watched the blackness drain away from the heart. He sighed with relief, leaning back against a rock for support, breathing deeply.

"Link, are you all right?" Ike asked.

Link smiled. "I'm fine," he said.

"You sure?" Ike looked dubious.

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Link. A wave of dizziness made him put his head in his hands. "But fighting darkness with just your heart is more exhausting than I thought."

That made Ike smile. "And Zelda does that all the time. Wow."

"She's tougher than she looks," Link said proudly.

—

Zelda crept down the hallway. Mark followed behind. He had a long, quick stride, but it made _too much noise_.

"Mark," said Zelda, "I'm going to find a place for you to hide. If you keep walking like that, you'll alert everyone in the building to our escape."

Mark nodded. Zelda crept back to the place where they had been imprisoned. There was a window that was able to open on the outside of the cell. She opened it, standing on tiptoe. "Here," she said. "Climb out."

Mark stood on a nearby box and pulled himself out of the window. "I'll hide in the bushes," he said, darting to do just that. "Call if you need help."

"I'll be back," said Zelda. "I just need to find some things."

She crept off into the building, walking silently.

Zelda walked for a while, hearing nothing. The hallways were empty. She laughed a little. "Foolish is the captor who relies on bars to keep their captives in." Ganondorf had learned that the first time he had tried to kidnap her. He had put her behind bars and tied her up. She had escaped in ten seconds flat. The Master Hand must be new at kidnapping.

She crept through the hallways of the fortress. It was almost completely computerized. Some doors opened as she walked by.

One room had 'Controller - Female. Habitation Room' written on the door. Zelda opened the door a crack.

The room reminded her of a hospital. It had a vertical cylinder with a door that said 'disinfectant' on was a mirror on the wall, and a cupboard in which a plain, grey tunic of sorts lay, folded neatly. Next to it was a table, and beside that a tilted pod that was open. The inside was padded, and a blanket was folded neatly at the bottom. There was a head pillow, and it was the perfect size for a girl in her mid-teens. It seemed like a place someone would sleep, and yet there were arm restraints and a helmet inside. A glance at the underside of the helmet revealed wires and small pads. The entire contraption brought to mind some sort of brainwashing tool. Zelda pitied whoever slept _there_.

There was nothing else in the room. Zelda left.

She continued down the hallway. She passed another room, one that said 'Controller - Male' on the door. She assumed it would be pretty much the same as the first, so she didn't stop to check it.

Suddenly, calls in Ancient Hylian reached her ears._ "Help us!" "Please!" "We're trapped!" "Let me go!"_ A high-pitched scream sounded down the hallway.

A single Wire Frame walked down the hallway, carrying a fairy in one hand. The poor creature dangled by her wings, and she hung very still to avoid damaging them. The Wire Frame didn't seem to notice Zelda.

Zelda reached for her needles. Then she remembered that they had been confiscated when she was captured. So she brought her hookshot up and fired, carefully avoiding hitting the fairy.

The Wire Frame noticed her then. It released the fairy, who immediately flew over to Zelda. She hovered next to Zelda's shoulder. Then the Wire Frame began to emit a strange noise. _A distress signal? Better silence it,_ Zelda thought. She moved forward, and with a series of quick blows, knocked out the hapless Wire Frame. It disintegrated.

_"Thank you, Lady,"_ whispered the fairy. She floated downward, then swirled around Zelda. Zelda felt her aches disappear. The fairy then hung next to her shoulder.

Zelda smiled. "Let's go rescue your sisters. Do you know where they are?"

The fairy nodded. She floated down the hallway, Zelda following closely behind.

After a moment, they reached a door. Outside of that door was a squad of Wire Frames, ready and waiting.

Zelda flew into an attack. The Wire Frames fought back, synchronizing themselves. Zelda drew them close, then used the hookshot, spinning in a circle.

The Wire Frames were slammed into the walls. They disintegrated."Oh no!" cried the fairy.

There was another Wire Frame. While Zelda had been busy dealing with the others, this one had grabbed a fairy out of the room they were trapped in. Now it held the fairy in one hand. The other hand held a tiny knife to the little fairy's throat."Emiline!" the fairy by Zelda cried out.

Zelda stopped. The Wire Frames couldn't speak, but at the moment, it didn't need to. Stop, or this fairy dies. The message was as clear as day.

The little fairy, Emiline, called weakly, _"I'm sorry Mae, My Lady."_

Zelda looked carefully at the Wire Frame. Was it watching her? She needed to surprise it.

"Mae," Zelda hissed in Ancient Hylian. Hopefully whoever controlled the wire Frame didn't understand it. She and Link were fluent, but no one else besides Ganondorf and, of course, the fairies, was. "Make a scene. Distract the Frame's attention. Anything you can think of, but don't attack it."

Mae immediately flew into screaming hysterics._ "Villain! Evil scum! Let my friend be! You have harmed enough! Drop her or face the wrath of the goddesses!"_

The Frame turned its head towards Mae. It obviously didn't understand her, but she screamed and yelled and cried. Even Zelda wasn't sure whether the tears that sparkled to the ground were fake or real. _It's a good thing fairies are good actresses,_ Zelda thought, lifting the hand that held her hookshot slowly and evenly.

Mae, having seemingly run out of fake tears, burst into an angry display of fairy magic, sparkles in different colours bursting in the air. _Just a little further... there!_ She fired.

The Wire Frame was hit in the chest. The sharp edges pierced it, and it disappeared.

Emiline dropped to the ground. Mae stopped her sparkles and dove after her sister. _"Emmy!"_

Zelda walked over to the door, feeling her shoulders unclench slightly. She reached out and opened it.

Fairies fluttered out by the dozen, swirling and whirling around Zelda. _"Thank you, Lady!"_ they sang. She wondered why their healing magic wasn't working. She still hurt.

_Ah,_ she thought. _Of course. That isn't a physical pain. It's just the nothingness brought on by sending my heart elsewhere. I'm going to try and avoid doing that from now on. It's not pleasant._

She saw two fairies on the ground. It was the fairy she had rescued first, Mae, along with the wounded one, Emiline. Mae was producing as much healing magic as she could, but none of it seemed to work.

Mae picked Emiline up. Emiline drooped. _"We need to get home fast!"_ she said. _"Emmy's hurt. Real bad."_

One of the littlest fairies turned to Zelda. _"Emmy's the Great Fairy,"_ she whispered. _"If she dies, we can't give you our gift!"_

"She's not going to die. Follow me," Zelda said. Another fairy went over and helped Mae carry Emiline. Zelda ran through the building, followed by the flock of fairies.

Zelda skidded to a halt in front of a squad of Wire Frames. Immediately, the fairies attacked. They bit and scratched and pinched, while Zelda took each Frame out with her hookshot. Mae floated in the air behind Zelda, still carrying Emiline. The Wire Frames disappeared, and they charged onward.

They came across another bunch, and another. Each were defeated easily. But with each fight, precious time ticked away for the life of the dying Great Fairy, who grew greyer and greyer in Mae's arms. _"Come on, come on Emmy, you can't die!"_ Mae said.

They found the door and raced out of it. Mark came out of the bushes. "Woah, Sheik, where'd these fluttery things come from?"

"No time to explain," said Zelda. "How fast can you run?"

Mark smiled. "Fast," he said.

"Alright, let's go," said Zelda. She ran off, Mae and Emiline in her hands. Mark ran slightly behind her.

Mae directed her toward the fountain. Soon, with Zelda's running speed, they arrived. Rani zoomed over, crying out in relief.

Mae lifted off again, flying Emiline toward the inside of the fountain. She took some of the drops left, poured them into the Great Fairy's mouth. _"Emmy..."_ she said, her voice full of sadness. She laid the fairy's head down.

"We didn't get here in time..." Zelda said quietly. "I'm sorry..."

Emmy opened her eyes weakly. _"Where am I..."_

Mae exclaimed in delight, jumping into the air, where she did a somersault. _"Emmy! Emmy! You're okay!"_

_"I'll be... alright,"_ Emiline said. She tried to sit up, and cried out in pain. Mae darted to her side to support her.

_"Lie still, Emmy,"_ Mae said. _"You got hurt. Lady Zelda saved all of us!"_

_"Lady... Zelda..."_ Emiline said. _"I need to give you my gift..."_

"Not now," said Zelda. "You almost died. I'll come back when you're well, and you can give me any gift you want. Alright?"

Emiline smiled weakly._ "alright, My Lady... I admit, I do not even have the strength to change back into my own form..."_

_"We'll heal you,"_ the other fairies said. They all swirled around Zelda, chasing every hurt from her body. She rose into the air, still surrounded by fairies, changing into her own form.

Mark stood in the corner of the fountain. He didn't say anything.

Zelda stood in front of him, just outside the fairy fountain, as she prepared to go back. "Lady Zelda?" he asked. "You told me your name was Sheik."

Zelda shrugged. "I couldn't let them know who I was."

He smiled. "Thank you for saving me, Lady Zelda."

"Just Zelda, please. I hate titles, but the fairies won't even consider calling me anything else."

Mark grinned. "Where are you going from here?"

Zelda smiled. "Back to Link. Back to my friends. I have another battle to fight." She saw a light zooming toward her. "And there's Navi, right on cue," she laughed. "I've got to go."

Zelda turned around and ran toward Navi. Mark saw, in the way she ran, a hint of Sheik.

He was sorry to have lied to her. Zelda seemed like a wonderful woman, and Mark didn't like to lie. But at least he had a song.

As Zelda ran out of sight, Mark sang under his breath.

_Don't judge a thing 'til you know what's inside it.  
Don't push me - I'll fight it.  
Never gonna give in  
never gonna give it up, no._

If you can't catch a wave then you're never gonna ride it.  
You can't come uninvited.  
Never gonna give in  
never gonna give up, no.  
You can't take me.  
I'm free.

* * *

I likes that song. But what's Mark lying about? Who knows? I do! But I'm not telling!

Actually, you probably won't find out the truth about Mark for a while. -evil grin-

**_REVIEW!_**


	36. Peace for a little while

Time to tie up this plot arc. This chapter doesn't have a specific song, and is very short. But oh well.

Enjoy!

* * *

Zelda walked back into the camp, Navi leading the way. The sun was high in the sky.

_"Link's over here,"_ Navi said. _"He's been worried about you."_

Zelda followed Navi, and saw Link. He was sitting, cross-legged, on the ground, staring at something in his hands. Something that glowed in a million colours.

_"Link,"_ Navi said. Link looked up.

A look of relief washed over his face. He ran to Zelda, catching her in a hug. "There you are," he said. Then he looked down at what still rested in his hand. "I... think I have something that belongs to you," he said. He looked at the glowing thing, which Zelda realized was her heart, then said, "Except I don't exactly know how to return it."

"Like this," Zelda said. She took hold of his hands and pressed them over where her heart would go. The glowing light melted back into her, and she smiled. Then she hugged him tight.

Link smiled. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine now," she said, "I had to do it, but going without my heart wasn't very fun."

"I'm sure," Link said. "Now, I think you have a story to tell."

"Alright," said Zelda, "But is anyone else going to ask? I don't want to have to tell it more than once."

_"I'll get them,"_ Navi said. _"You two just stay there."_

Link peered into her face. "You look tired," he said.

Zelda laughed slightly. "Tired? Me?" She yawned hugely, rested her head on Link's shoulder. He put his arms around her and smiled. Zelda revelled in the sudden peace. After the nightmare, the reconnaissance, being captured, and the panicked run back to the fountain, her nerves had been grated enough for one day.

Navi came back a few moments later, followed by half the camp. "They all wanted to hear," she said.

Zelda laughed. Sitting up, she explained what had happened. When she got to the part about Mark, who thought he was dreaming, Ness nodded knowledgeably.

"He probably was," he said. "Sometimes people actually travel to other worlds and other places in their dreams."

"So he really was dreaming?" Zelda said.

Ness looked around, realized all eyes were on him, and nodded, slightly abashed. "Yeah. I've done it a couple of times myself."

"Alright," said Zelda, nodding. She finished her story.

Marth raised an eyebrow. "Quite an adventure," he said.

Zelda laughed. "Yes. And now I'm tired." she looked around. "Are we leaving just yet?"

"I doubt it," said Link. "Half of us were up all night. Some rest would be nice."

"Yes, it would," agreed Zelda. She followed Link to their bedrolls, laid out next to each other, and lay down. She was asleep almost immediately, tucked up in his arms.

Ness leaned back against a rock, pondering Zelda's story. There was something bothering him... something he had forgotten... Something about Dream Travelling...

He sat bolt upright. Dream-travelling was a craft long practised by psychics and mages alike. That he knew. But it was next to impossible to do it without training. Or, at least, without a very powerful magician helping you. So either this songwriter was crazy, or he was hiding something.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this plot arc, courtesy of my very strange imagination. If you did, or have anything whatsoever you wanted to say, just

**_REVIEW!_**


	37. Dreaming

Aaand I'm BA-ACK! :D Sorry it took me so long - I was kinda busy.

This chapter in mood alone (I don't know what the words to the song mean) seems perfect for the song Uchuu by Angela Aki. Enjoy!

* * *

_Strange shapes wove through her dreams. They formed into a silhouette, and colour washed over it. It formed into an image. Peach. Peach was looking around with confusion and a growing dread. She stepped back slightly._

_"Peach?" Zelda called, walking through mists towards her._

_A winged creature stood beside Peach. Its eyes were glazed over, and it spoke in a tone that was most definitely not its own. The voice was booming and commanding, completely emotionless and entirely rigid. "Peach. Princess of the Mushroom Kingdom. Your fate may have been delayed, but you cannot escape destiny."_

_Peach suddenly turned toward Zelda. "Z-zelda?" Peach asked in a shaky voice._

_"Peach," said Zelda. "What's going on? I'll answer your questions later. Tell me what this thing is talking about."_

_"Oh..." She said. "I thought I had escaped this. But I suppose it must follow me 'till I die. You see... when I was born, my mother told my father my fate, then died."_

_"What did she say?" Zelda asked. But mists obscured her vision again. When they parted, she was standing in a field._

_Right in front of her was... a bomb. It was huge. It filled the clearing. There was a number... 5. But as Zelda watched it, the number didn't move. She assumed that meant it was minutes or hours. Mists came in across her vision again. Her instincts guided her feet, and she walked forward, though she couldn't see the ground, or even her feet._

_Someone appeared in front of her. Mario. He was on his knees, and tears leaked down his face. She reached out, but he disappeared._

_Mario appeared again, frozen with shock. Something flew towards him. Then, Zelda heard a scream._

_Peach ran out of the shadows. "Mario!" she screamed. She pushed him out of the way, then was thrown back from the force as whatever it was hit her instead of Mario. Mario cried out, then they disappeared._

_The next person she saw was Bowser. Darkness was all around him, he walked by himself. His stance, normally so conceited, now betrayed a deep, wearying sorrow. He faded._

_Peach appeared again. She stood, frozen with shock, then collapsed to her knees. She shook with sobs. "I'm sorry... I thought of you as a traitor. I thought you'd forgotten about what it was to care... You should have **told** me."_

__

She disappeared. The world around Zelda began to fade to darkness.

A familiar voice whispered through the darkness. It was the voice of a Great fairy. No, not a fairy. A Fate. One of the nine. Female... Meilan. Fate Meilan.

"Messenger Zelda..." it whispered. "I have another message for you. The message is: Secrets will come to light. One who all thought was a villain will be proved otherwise. Forgiveness may be given, or it may be withheld...

"Remember this, Messenger of the Fates. Although things are written, you yourself know the true nature of fate. Things that were written out long ago are written in sand, not in stone. The future can be changed. That is important."

"May I share this message, Fate Meilan?" Zelda called.

"Yes."

"Thank you."

"Goodbye, Zelda. This will be the last time the Goddesses call on you. May you live happy, without the burden."

Zelda's eyes fluttered open.

"Zel?" Link asked. He knelt by her. "Are you alright? You were talking in your sleep."

"I was given another Message," Zelda said sleepily. "The last one I will be given, the Fate said."

"Really?" asked Link. "When was the last time this happened?"

"When I was a child," said Zelda. "Remember? The last one was a warning... about Ganondorf."

"Well, I hope this one's a bit less doom-laden than that one," Link laughed.

"It's for Peach," said Zelda. "Something about secrets... a traitor who will be revealed not so, and forgiveness... and the fact that fate is written in sand, not stone. The actions of one can change the fate of another..."

"Peach is sleeping," said Link. "Can it wait?"

Zelda thought hard. "I remember something about five hours... there's a problem. I don't think it can wait until morning. Something's going to happen in five hours. I saw a bomb... I don't know if it's figurative or literal, but it'll go off in five hours..." her eyes widened. "Link, the bomb's huge. It almost fills the clearing..."

Link's eyebrows went up. "That's serious. Is it near here?"

"I... think so," said Zelda. "If it goes off, it'll affect us all..."

Link helped Zelda to her feet. "Then we'd better get moving. Are you allowed to tell Peach?"

"Yes," said Zelda.

"Then I'll take you there. Then I'll wake Marth, and we'll set up a party to search for this thing."

"Right," said Zelda. She smiled ruefully. "That's two nights with almost no sleep."

"Don't worry," said Link. "We'll take care of this, and then we'll get a whole day just for you to sleep. And I'll get some real food for you." He hugged her quickly.

Zelda smiled. "Sounds good. Let's go."

The two, used to doing this kind of thing by now, went off to turn the camp upside down yet again.

* * *

^.^ Zelink brings me joy. :DDD

Thank you for reading!

Review if you like.


	38. Friends

Next chapter is up! :D I hope to get this all up soon.

* * *

Peach's eyes widened. "Traitor... The Fate said he'd be forgiven?" Her eyes glazed over for a moment, and she stared blankly over Zelda's shoulder and into the stars.

"It said you'd get the option," Zelda said. "So you understand this?"

Peach nodded. "I think I understand what it means." she frowned. "But... I don't know... Forgive him? After so long?"

"Peach?" Zelda asked. "Who's the traitor?"

Peach looked down. "The traitor..." her voice was filled with sadness.

"You don't have to tell me," Zelda said, "if it hurts too much."

"No," said Peach. "I can say it. The traitor is Bowser. Bowser." The second time she said it, her eyes moved to the grass beneath their feet and her head bent.

"Bowser?" Zelda asked, perplexed. Then an image floated to the surface of her brain. "I saw Bowser in my dream. He was walking alone, surrounded by darkness... he looked sad... lonely, perhaps."

Peach looked back up at Zelda thoughtfully. "Really?"

"Yes," said Zelda. Reluctant to press Peach, she said nothing more.

Peach was silent for a moment. Then she looked down again. "Bowser... was once my best friend in the whole world." A tiny smile crossed her face.

"He was your best friend?" Zelda asked.

Peach nodded. "When I was just a little girl, I snuck out from the castle to walk in the rain. I loved the rain, but I never got to see it. You see, my father always made me stay inside when it rained, worried I'd catch cold, or get struck by lightning, or get lost..."

Zelda smiled. "Mine was the same way," she said.

Peach laughed a little. "Dads." then she continued. "Well, I walked in the forest by the castle. It's really pretty during the rain - all the leaves are shining with drops, but you really don't get that wet as long as you walk near the trees. It's all silver... it's so beautiful.. Then I heard someone crying. I ran to see who it was... It was a little Koopa Kid. He was sitting on the forest floor, all alone, crying. I asked him what was wrong. He explained to me that he was all alone. His mother had died when he was born, and his father had died just recently. He had left to go find a home, travelled all over the place, and now he was lost. So I invited him to come home and wait out the storm with me. He came. We sat by the fire and talked. He introduced himself to me as Bowser.

"Soon, the rainstorm changed into a thunderstorm. When I was little, I was absolutely terrified of thunder and lightning. But when Bowser found out I was scared, he talked to me. Made me laugh. Distracted me. He shared stories his parents had told him, we played games." Peach smiled sadly. "And for the first time, I wasn't afraid."

Zelda smiled. "He seems like he was very sweet as a kid."

"He was," said Peach. "After the storm, I asked my father if he could stay. He... took some convincing, but eventually he said Bowser could stay." Peach laughed. "Toadsworth never liked him - thought he was too crude. Said that a princess should have gentler companions. But Bowser was fun to be around and he never lied to me. I'd always hated it when people lied. Bowser was as curious as I was. We spent hours outside, wandering the places near the castle. Since Bowser, even then, was a fearsome foe, my father allowed me to go places I had never seen before, as long as Bowser was with me. We went all over. We figured out how things worked, we played tricks on people in the castle. Every day, we took a basket of food, and we'd be out all day. We had picnics in the prettiest spots." She smiled. "With his help, I figured out how to make daisy chains. Once, I decorated his shell when he was asleep."

An image of Bowser with daisy chains all wrapped around the spikes on his shell popped into Zelda's head, and she laughed.

Peach continued. "We were the best of friends for years and years. It was so amazing to finally have someone my own age to play with." her voice became distant. "We grew up together. Now, I barely remember my life before I met him."

"So what happened?" Zelda asked.

Peach's face fell. "I don't know. It was a couple of years after I had met Mario." She blushed a little, then sighed. "Bowser just went and kidnapped me. And when Mario came to rescue me, he panicked."

"Was he angry?" Zelda asked. "Jealous?"

Peach shrugged. "I don't know. What I do know is this. His spite, all that meanness... it's only there sometimes. He was good to me. Sometimes he and I would talk, and he was almost like the old Bowser then. His troops always treated me well. I was never hurt. And when he fought Mario, he... held back. He seemed to be trying not to kill him. He only ever knocked him out, and dumped him somewhere away from the castle. And when Mario won, he always did the same thing - he knows Bowser and I were friends."

Zelda looked at Peach thoughtfully. "Does... whatever your mother said have anything to do with Bowser's change?"

Peach looked down. "I'd... rather not talk about what my mother said, if that's okay."

"Alright," said Zelda.

* * *

This one is short, but I like it. It reveals Peach's side of my Bowser Backstory. XD Aliteration. :D This story will be told twice more, from two other points of view.


	39. Dividng it Up

And I'm on a roll here! This hasn't been changed too much. I've always rather liked this chapter...

* * *

"A bomb?" Marth immediately looked more alert.

"Yes," Link said. "Zelda says she doesn't know if it's figurative or literal, but she says it will affect us when it explodes."

"Wait... figurative or literal? What are you talking about?"

"Figurative as in..." Link started to explain, but Marth cut him off.

"I know what figurative means. What I'm trying to say is you don't know for certain this thing exists."

"It's either a real bomb or an event that will be like a bomb. An attack, a betrayal, or something else, completely out of the blue, that does a lot of harm." Link said. Then, as an afterthought, he added, "or both."

"How do you know this?" Marth asked.

"Zelda Saw it."

"How can she have seen it, if she doesn't know if it exists or not?" Marth asked. His face was a mix of irritation and confusion.

"No," said Link. "Not saw. Saw."

"Oh," Marth said. "Saw. Wait... Zelda's clairvoyant?" The irritation vanished from his face.

Link nodded. "Mostly small things. Not very often. But she says this seems big. As important as the one she had when she was a child. She says it's a Message from the Fates."

Marth's eyes widened. "That's big," he said.

"I think we should go look for this figurative or literal bomb," Link said.

"I agree," said Marth. "We should get up a decent-sized search party."

"Samus knows about machines," said Link. "She'd be helpful if it's a literal bomb."

"Roy," said Marth.

"Why Roy?" Link asked.

"Because he'd kill me if he missed any action," Marth said.

"Got that right," Roy said, walking over. He grinned a greeting at the two of them. "What's up?"

"Zelda had a premonition," Link said. "Something to do with Peach, a traitor, a prophesy, and a bomb."

Roy's eyebrows shot up. "Does she know how long we have before it blows?"

"Five hours." Link said. "She says it's huge. She doesn't know if it's literal or figurative, but it's big."

"Does she know if it's nearby?" Roy asked.

"It is," Link said.

"Then let's go. We've got less than five hours, right? So we need to get moving."

"Wait," said Marth. "We have no idea in which direction this thing is. I think we should send three search parties."

Roy halted in mid-step. "Good idea," he said. "So... who's going to be in each?"

"We need three people who are good with technology," said Marth. "One for each party."

"Samus, Captain Falcon, and Falco," Roy said immediately.

Marth smiled. Roy was _good_ with people. He knew the strengths, abilities, fighting style, and interests of everyone in the party. Considering their party was the size of a small army, that was not unimpressive.

"We can use the mindspeakers to keep the three parties in touch," suggested Link.

Roy cocked his head. "The people who can mindspeak freely are... Zelda, Mewtwo, and Ness."

"Strength," said Marth.

Roy nodded. "DK, Bowser, and..." he thought a moment, "Ike."

"Ike?" Link asked.

Roy nodded. "He's really strong. Not fast, but really strong. Remember when he put his shoulder to that door, in Melodia's temple? It had a dent in it afterwards."

Marth's eyebrows went up. Then he smiled. "Thank the gods for your memory, Roy."

Roy took a theatrical bow. "Thank you. I aim to please."

Link looked on in slight wonderment. The two knew each other's talents, and complimented each other's strengths perfectly. It was no wonder they were best friends.

"Now," said Marth, "We need to organize the three parties. Each of us will lead one."

"I'm going with Zelda," said Link.

"There was no question about that," Marth said, smiling.

"I think DK should go with you," said Roy. "You're friends with him, right?"

"That's right," said Link. After Melodia's sanctuary, Zelda and Donkey Kong got on like a house on fire. He was loyal to his friends, once you got past the language barrier, as in, him not speaking one.

Roy cocked his head. "Take Falco too."

Link nodded.

"I'll take Ness, Ike, and Samus," said Roy. He looked at Marth. "That leaves you with Mewtwo, Captain Falcon, and Bowser."

Marth nodded. "That sounds fine," he said. "Split up, gather your search parties, and go. I'll head northeast and sweep south and west. Roy, you head northwest, sweep north, then east. Link, you go south, and sweep east, then north. Circular motion with the camp as the centre. If the thing is as noticeable as Zelda says it is, we shouldn't have too much trouble. If anyone sees anything unusual, get your psychic to send it to the other parties."

Link nodded. The three left in opposite directions. Link made a beeline for Peach's bedroll, where she and Zelda talked.

"Zelda!" Link called.

Zelda looked up from where she talked quietly to Peach. "What is it?"

"We're going to head out. Each group needs a psychic, and I wanted you. Will you come?"

Zelda nodded and stood up.

"Wait," said Peach. "This thing involves me. I'm coming with you."

"That's fine," said Link, "But we have to get Donkey Kong and Falco. I'll go get Falco. Zel, can you find DK?"

"Alright," said Zelda.

"I'll come with you," said Peach.

"Meet back here," said Link. "Hurry." He raced off.

* * *

:D

Review! :D


	40. Smiles

Okay, if you're waiting for me to finish before reading New World, I'm _so sorry_! I promise I'll be quick.

The song I'm listening to now: The Riddle by Five for Fighting.

* * *

"...and now, groups of us are going out to look for it. Can you go wake up Samus?"

Ike grinned. Premonitions, immanent danger, search parties through dark woods when everyone is dead on their feet, waking up irritable women too early in the morning... just like the good old days. "I'm on it," he said.

Ike approached Samus' bedroll. He knew from experience that girls were not nice when you woke them up too early. Mist always hid. Mia would hit him. Titania would pull her axe out from seemingly nowhere. Lethe had bitten him twice. The one time he had made the mistake of trying to wake Sanaki, Rhys had been forced to use an entire healing staff on him. The girl used _fire_ spells in her _sleep_. He wondered what Samus would do to him.

Samus turned over, muttering something.

"Hey, Samus," Ike said. "You need to get up." He touched her shoulder.

Samus' eyes flew open, both of her hands grabbing his wrist in an iron grip. She stared a moment, breathing hard, her eyes bright with hatred. Then she appeared to come to grips with reality, and released his hand. Her expression turned from fury to one of mild annoyance.

"What do you want?" she asked.

Ike quickly explained the situation. Samus nodded briskly and got to her feet. She picked up her handgun that lay beside her bedroll.

"Next time," Samus said, "Don't try to wake me up by shaking me. If I hadn't been in the middle of a dream, I probably would have shot you on reflex."

Ike grinned. "I'll remember that," he said.

***

"Peach?" Bowser asked. "It's a prophesy, and it involves Peach?" His face became unreadable, but his eyes were wide. "Where is she now?"

Marth looked oddly at Bowser. "Back at camp, I believe. Why?"

Bowser's expression returned to normal. "Good. Now how do I make sure she stays there?"

"Relay a message to the other teams through Mewtwo, if you want to," said Marth.

***

Zelda jumped. Their search party, accompanied by Peach, was walking through the forest. It was quite beautiful out, and a gentle breeze made the leaves rustle.

"What is it?" asked Link, by her side in an instant.

"Message from Mewtwo," said Zelda. "Bowser wants to know if Peach is here."

"Tell him I am," said Peach.

Zelda closed her eyes. "Now Bowser wants to know where Luigi and Mario are. They're not with us, so I'll contact Ness." She paused. "He says they're not with Roy, so they must be at camp."

"They're sleeping," said Peach. "I left a note with Mario, saying I was with you."

Zelda nodded. Then she tipped her head to the side. "Mewtwo says..." her face split into a grin. "He says Bowser says that he's on your side, and he promises that this is not a kidnapping attempt. He's not stupid. He also says Mewtwo told him that Ness and I were thinking that so loudly we might as well have been shouting." she laughed. "We were, but he didn't have to _say_ it."

Peach smiled and Zelda laughed.

Link and Peach just stared at Zelda for a moment. Then Zelda piped up, "Another message from Bowser via Mewtwo. He says, Peach, to stick close to Link and I. He says you'll know why."

Peach simply nodded. Then a series of expressions crossed her face. It went from nostalgia to pain to confusion, then returned to nostalgia.

Zelda walked to stand beside Peach. "Peach," she said, "the Fate told me to tell you this. The Goddesses play games with the fates of those below, but things don't always turn out like they intended. Fate isn't written in stone, no matter what Prophets and Angels might have you believe. So don't be afraid."

Peach smiled. "I won't," she said quietly.

"Wow," Zelda said.

"What is it?" Link asked.

"Bowser. Mewtwo says that Bowser says that if anything happens to Peach, he will personally rip our heads off."

Link's expression darkened. He always took things like that too seriously.

"He really cares about you," Zelda continued, giving Peach a smile. "You've got a staunch ally."

Peach's smile grew and her expression became distant.

"Wait," said Link. "I'm missing something here. I _must_ be. Didn't Bowser always try to kidnap Peach? Aren't they _enemies_?"

"It's... complicated," Peach said.

"It's an emotional tangle that nobody, except perhaps Bowser, knows the full extent of." Zelda smiled.

Link shook his head, bewildered and resigned. "I'm not even going to try," he said.

Zelda giggled. "Just focus on finding the bomb. Let Peach and I sort this one out." she kissed him on the cheek and then walked over to stand beside Peach.

***

Samus was frowning.

She walked with the same steady step, she didn't seem to be in pain or too tired, and yet she frowned. Why?

Ike pondered what would make her so unhappy. When she was with Peach, she talked openly and even laughed. When Peach wasn't around, she was a little more serious, but she still smiled. He wondered if she was thinking about something that upset her.

He walked over to her. "Something the matter?" he asked.

"No," said Samus.

"Then why are you frowning?" Ike asked. "And just so you know, if you say 'no reason' I will laugh and call you a liar."

"No reason," said Samus.

"Ha! Liar," said Ike, determined to keep his word. "Now tell me the _truth_."

"Just remembering the dream I was having," said Samus.

"I'll hazard a guess that it wasn't a good dream," said Ike.

"No," said Samus. "It wasn't. In it, I watched a dear friend die over and over, and couldn't do anything to stop it."

Ike looked forward. Roy was a fair ways ahead of them, Ness close behind. Ike nudged Samus, and they increased their pace.

"I had a dream like that every night for two years," said Ike, "Except, instead of a friend, it was my father. After a while, Mist got so tired of hearing me talk and yell in my sleep that when I started, she'd just throw something at me." He looked at Samus, hoping for a smile. He got one. "Something hard." The smile grew, and Ike's spirits returned.

His eyes lingered on that smile as they raced to catch up with the other two.

***

__

There's something up ahead,

Mewtwo said. _It has a lot of energy stored up in it._

Marth walked in the direction Mewtwo indicated. He pushed aside a bush, and entered the clearing, his party close behind.

They were silent. Then Captain Falcon swore explosively.

"Mewtwo, contact Ness and Zelda," Marth said. "I think we've found our bomb."

* * *

IkeX Samus. It just makes my day. :D


	41. Choice

Aaand... here's the climax of the plot arc! I've always loved this plot arc... I like Bowser. I'm sorry if anyone finds this cheesy.

I'm still listening to The Riddle.

* * *

"That's the one," said Zelda. "That's what I dreamed about."

Marth had been cool and calm when he had something to do. Now, he silently stared at the bomb. His gaze travelled up. And up. And up.

"That's..." he began.

"Big?" Roy suggested.

"Yes," Marth agreed.

Suddenly, Pikachu ran into the clearing, Mario and Luigi close behind.

"Mario, Luigi. What are you doing here?" Peach asked, smiling at them.

"You left us a note a-saying you were a-going to look for a bomb," Luigi said, "and you expect us to a-say 'oh, ok, that's alright, a-then'?"

Zelda looked at Peach wonderingly.

"You told them you were going to look for a bomb in your note?" Zelda asked, slightly incredulous.

"Yes..." said Peach. Then she drooped. "That was... a bad idea."

Samus laughed. "Only if you don't want them to follow you," she said, walking over to her friend.

Peach looked over at Bowser. He had an angry and conflicted expression on his face.

"Bowser, what's wrong?" Peach asked.

Bowser turned to Mario. "You... idiot," he said.

There was a pause. No one seemed to know what to say. Anyone could see Bowser's fury. Mario froze, looking at Bowser like he'd just snapped.

"You're putting her in danger just by being here!" Bowser continued.

Luigi's eyes widened. Mario stared blankly, obviously confused.

"Danger?" Mario asked. "How?"

Peach gave a slightly forced laugh. "It's nothing. Just forget it."

"You haven't told him?" Bowser asked incredulously. "He actually doesn't know what your mother said?"

Peach hung her head, and shook it slowly from side to side. "I didn't tell him," she said. "I didn't want him to be afraid. I was scared he would leave forever. I have excepted my mother's prophesy, and I am glad to fulfill it. Risking all for love is better than being alone forever." She looked up, smiled at Bowser. She turned to Mario. "Please. Don't leave me. I couldn't survive without you."

Mario put a hand on Peach's shoulder. "I'd never a-leave you," he said. She hugged him tight, closing her eyes and burying her head in his shoulder. His arms came around her.

"So you would prefer," Bowser said, in a low, dull voice, "to risk her life?"

"Risk-a her... life?" Mario looked over to Bowser.

Bowser continued. "You say she is precious to you, and yet every second you're with her, you put her life at risk."

"Bowser, you sound like a broken record," Ike put in, with customary bluntness. "Mario obviously doesn't know what you're talking about, so explain, or stop talking about it! As fun as it might be, when you're the only one who understands it, cryptic rambling isn't much help."

Samus spoke up. "Sorry for interrupting, but I need some help here."

Ike quickly turned to Samus. "What do you need?"

"A few things," said Samus. "One, I need somebody to go back and get my backpack. Two, I need everyone to come over here and have a look at this."

"I can get your backpack," said Captain Falcon. He raced off. The remaining group crowded around the bomb.

"See this?" Samus said. There was a plate of silver halfway up the bomb, at about mid-chest height for Ike. Two handprints were indented in it. One was a small, dainty hand, one was large and strangely shaped, with deep, slightly curved holes at the fingers. "There's some old writing underneath, and I can't read it."

"Ancient Hylian," Link said. "What's it doing on this thing?"

"You can read it?" Samus asked.

"We both can," said Zelda. She pointed at the small hand print. "The writing underneath this one says 'destiny'."

"And under this," said Link, pointing to the larger one, "It says, 'choice'."

Peach walked up to the smaller hand print. "It's just the right size," she said dreamily. She reached out her left hand, its lacy white glove in the exact shape of the print.

"Wait," said Samus, "don't do that. There could be problems."

But Peach continued as if hypnotized. She laid her hand in the hand print. A flash of light engulfed the area.

Bowser looked around. "Peach! She's gone!" He raced up to the larger hand print and shoved his hand in, flexing his claws. It fit perfectly. Something beeped.

"Oh, gods," said Samus. "Everyone, get away from that thing!"

Everyone backed up except Bowser. He tugged at his claw, but it seemed to be glued to the print.

Ike ran up, grabbed Bowser's shell, and pulled.

"Ike, what are you doing?" Samus shouted.

"Don't leave anyone behind," he said. "My father taught me that when I was to lead the Mercenaries." He yanked at Bowser's shell.

Suddenly, Bowser disappeared. Ike looked at the print, shocked, as it slowly melted away. "What just happened?"

"Ike," said Samus. "Get away from that thing!" She ran forward to push him away.

A second flash of light engulfed the clearing. When the rest of the people could see again, Samus and Ike were gone.

Marth felt something grab his cape and pull him backward. He let out a cry and disappeared.

Zelda felt the pull of her magic. She gasped as colours swirled around her.

"Zel!" Link said. He grabbed her hand. Though the magic tried to pull her away, he held on tight, following her into the spell.

Images flashed by as the spell pulled Link and Zelda through darkness.

"Don't let go!" shouted Zelda. "If you let go for even a moment, you'll fall into the magic!"

Link grabbed Zelda's other hand, and the two spun through black, empty space.

A grand ballroom. Beautifully dressed lords and ladies danced around the floor to the songs and violin of a girl and her older brother. Marth walked across the floor, mingling with the crowd.

Suddenly, everything faded slightly. Link and Zelda look over to see Roy standing in a corner, talking to a girl. She looked so much like Marth she had to be his sister. Crystal blue eyes shine over a sweet smile as she talks to Roy.

The two began to dance.

"This is Roy's dream," Zelda whispered. "See how everything is so faded except for them? He's in love with her, and he wishes he could dance with her."

Link nodded and smiled. They stood together, arms around each other, watching the young couple.

Suddenly, the magic pulled Link and Zelda back. They whirled through a starry sky, and stopped again.

Marth stood in a room, looking around, confused. Sobs could be heard.

"Hello?" he called. He looked around.

He was in a clean, white room. A bed was in the centre of it. A young man lay on the bed, his eyes closed. He breathed slowly and deeply, but did not move. A girl, blond, with green eyes, sat next to the bed. Her glasses were in one hand, and she was crying.

"Excuse me..." Marth said, walking forward. The girl looked up, her eyes red and her expression empty.

"Now I'm seeing things," she said. "Great. I'm going mad."

"What's wrong?" he asked gently.

She laughed hollowly. "I might as well tell you. Since you're a hallucination, I suppose you can't tell anyone. It's my brother..." tears started to flow. "It's my fault... everyone says it's wrong, and I'll be punished for it, but... but..."

"Be punished for what?" Marth asked. But he started to disappear. The magic seized Zelda again, and she and Link were pulled away.

As they flew through space, they saw Samus and Ike floating in the darkness as well.

"Hold on," said Ike, gripping Samus' hands. "If we're separated, we'll get lost..." He pulled her close, his arms around her, holding onto her with everything he had.

"What's going on..." Samus asked. But they were pulled away before they could hear the rest.

They flew on. Past Ness, wondering where he was. Past Mewtwo, floated with his eyes closed, meditating. Past Falco, holding on to a floating piece of space debris, wondering out loud how he could breathe in what seemed like outer space.

Suddenly, Link and Zelda stopped. They were standing on darkness. Darkness was all around them, save in front, where a light shone on four people. Bowser. Peach. Mario. Luigi.

Unaware of Link and Zelda standing, obscured by shadow, Peach looked around. "Where are we?"

"No clue," Bowser said.

Peach felt a growing apprehension in her stomach.

Suddenly, a red light shot out of the darkness. It was aimed straight for Mario. He cried out, doubling over in pain, as it surrounded him.

_No,_ Peach thought. She raced forward, grabbed his arm. The red light flowed up his arm into Peach. She cried out and doubled over herself.

"Peach..." Bowser said.

"What?" Mario shouted. "Peach, don't!"

"When Peach was born, her mother made a prophesy. She said that Peach would fall in love but once. That person would save her many times. They would have happy times together, and he would love her well. Then, in something bigger than either of them, she would save his life. She would die for the one she loved." Bowser looked down. "She loves you. You've saved her many times. Now, she's saving you."

Mario looked shell shocked. "Peach..."

Peach gave a pained smile. "It's true," she said, panting. "And I'm fine with that. I love you."

"No..." said Mario. "It can't -a happen..."

"Do you know why I kidnapped her?" Bowser said.

"No," said Mario.

"When she brought me in from the forest... she was the first person to look past my face. She didn't mind that koopa kids had a reputation for serving evil. She took me in, trusted me. She was my first and only friend." He looked down. "I had nothing without her. The reason I kidnapped her... well, you can't live in her castle long without learning about the prophesy her mother made. I learned of it. I couldn't imagine life without her there... when she fell in love with you, I knew you would be the one she'd die for. So I thought that if you stayed away from her, she'd be safe."

"Zelda said...." Peach breathed, "that when the goddesses play games with the fates of beings below, it didn't always turn out how they wanted it. I think... they want you to fight. They want you two to be enemies. Which is why they did this to me. Don't fight. Please. I don't want to see... my two dearest friends... hurt each other anymore."

"You're not gonna die," Bowser said. It had such certainty in it, that they all looked at him, surprised. He went to Peach's side, took her hand. He sat, his eyes closed, holding Peach's hand. Bowser breathed in, acting on pure instinct. Not many are lucky enough to have an instinct for energy transfer, but Bowser did.

The red light travelled up her arm, into him. He smiled, even as he winced.

"Why?" Peach asked. "Bowser, it's my path. Please, don't do it..."

"I want to," said Bowser.

"Why?" Peach cried, tears beginning to roll down her cheeks.

"The reason... I kidnapped you? Well, I left something out. I... never said... because... I was scared that I would put you in danger." He was breathing hard now. The red light was flashing, and every time it did, he winced.

Peach's eyes widened.

"I had to save your life. It's why... under my print on the bomb... it said choice. This is mine."

"One person's actions will change the fate of another..." Peach breathed. She started to cry.

"This can't happen," Zelda said quietly to Link. "Bowser can't die. But I don't know what to do..." Then, her head snapped up. "Emmiline!"

The four in the light looked around as Zelda and Link stepped out of the shadows.

Zelda cut in before Peach could say anything. "We saw what happened. This spell will eventually carry Link and I back to the clearing. If we're holding on to you, I might be able to take you all back. I know someone who can help."

Peach and Mario helped Bowser to his feet, and the four ran over.

Zelda talked quickly. "Link, grab onto Luigi. Luigi, Mario. Mario, you hold on to Peach. Peach, Bowser, and Bowser, grab Peach's hand and don't let go." She watched as the chain formed, then threw her arms around Link and held him close with all her strength. The spell began to pull at her, and the entire group was dragged through space.

Pain tore through Bowser as the spell teleported them out of the darkness. Whatever was affecting him didn't like leaving the area they were in. He winced again.

"Hold on," said Peach, using both hands to hold one of his. "Grab on to me." She let go with one hand, and used it to pull his free arm around her. She smiled at him. "It'll be ok," she said. "You saved my life, and I'll never forgive myself if I let you go now."

Zelda felt a rush of power flow into her. She smiled. None of the people in this little line besides her and Link had magic, and Link's was already melded with hers. But each person had a small amount of power in their hearts, to be used when the person became free. She added the power to her spell, and sent them rocketing back to where they started.

They hit the ground like a comet, rolling across the grass.

Zelda felt a burst of pain in the back of her mind.

"Link!" she cried, turning to him.

Link was on the ground. He had hit his head when they landed, and he was unconscious. Zelda looked around. Her magic had protected her, but the others had fared badly. She raised her head, calling with psychic power and her voice.

_"Emmiline!"_ she cried.

Someone caught Zelda as she fell over backwards. She looked up. "DK!"

He made some hooting noises as he placed Zelda carefully on the ground. Zelda, completely exhausted, slipped into sleep.

* * *

:D


	42. The Answers

Hey there!

I'm _still_ listening to The Riddle. There's a wonderful video of it to the games 'Harvest Moon'. I just love it... so sweet. That song suits this plot arc well, and this chapter the best of them all.

* * *

Link opened his eyes. Strange. He had expected to feel pain. He had certainly been in pain when he was awake last.

His first thought was that he'd died. He shook his head, waking himself up a little. He was lying in a pool of water. Magic tickled his skin. Fairy water, then. So he wasn't dead.

He was in semi-darkness. His clothing was sitting on a natural shelf in the wall, along with a rough towel. The fairy water glowed slightly from within, and a blue crystal glowed as well, lighting the otherwise fairly featureless cavern.

Link got to his feet, careful not to slip in the water. He picked up the towel and dried himself off. He donned his clothing and left the cavern.

He walked down a hallway and was in the main cavern. This was the fairy fountain, all right. He smiled and looked around. There were fairies everywhere. He saw Donkey Kong, Luigi, Marth, Ike and Samus sitting against the walls. The Great Fairy sat in her fountain, the crystal water flowing around her. Her silver hair fell lightly around her face as she smiled at Link. _"Chosen Hero,"_ she said, inclining her head. Link smiled in return.

Link smiled and greeted them. He walked over to Luigi. "That was a tangle, wasn't it?"

Luigi laughed and nodded.

"I think," piped up Samus, "that an explanation would be nice."

"_I_ think," said Luigi, "that this is how it a-went. When Peach was-a born, her mother made a prophesy. The prophesy said that she'd a-love only once. That person would-a save her life, and then she would save his, and she'd-a die doing it.

"Now, when Peach a-found Bowser in the forest, and took him in, the spell decided that he was-a not the one. So she didn't fall in love with him, but they a-became the best of friends. Bowser, all alone in the world, no home or friends except-a for Peach, did fall in love with her. When he a-heard of the prophesy, he decided he could-a never tell her, afraid she'd love him and then die. Of course, Peach a-didn't realize.

"Then she met-a Mario. The spell decided he was-a the one, and Peach started to fall in a-love with him. Bowser saw this, and got a-scared. He didn't want her to die. So he took her far away, hoping that Mario'd never a-find her, and she'd never a-die for him. But he did find her. And he rescued her from an accident that might have a-killed her. There was-a no doubt, Mario was the one Peach would-a die for. But Bowser just a-wouldn't except it. He kept a-trying to get her far enough away, so that Mario wouldn't save her, and she a-wouldn't die for him.

"But every prophesy, though it may look inevitable, has a loophole. And Bowser was it. By-a going in after her, and by a-taking the... whatever that-a was... onto himself, he saved-a Peach's life, and a-changed her destiny."

They heard a giggle. "Quite a story," Zelda said, as she walked in, a bounce in her step.

"You seem happy," said Link, going over to hug her.

"I am," Zelda said. "I'm not tired and sore anymore, and my gamble paid off. Mae, some of her sisters, and I were able to save Bowser, after Emmiline removed the death-light. Mario and Peach are with him now."

"Hey, Zelda," Samus began.

"What is it?" Zelda asked.

"The bomb. It disappeared. When Ike and I got back, the bomb was gone."

Zelda smiled even more. "Good. That means it's a spell bomb."

"A what?" Samus asked.

"A spell bomb. It was made of magic, quite literally. It released its spell, which was to send all of us into that place, probably a strange sort of pocket dimension, then it disappeared. There's a powerful mage out there. Spell bombs aren't easy." She put her head to one side. "Could be the Hands... isn't Crazy Hand a spellcaster?"

"Hmm," Samus said. "That makes sense."

"So, what happened to you two?" Zelda asked. "We saw you floating there and wondered if you'd be alright."

"We just sort of... floated," Ike put in. "I saw a light coming form another direction, and I ofund Samus there."

"We spent a while up there," Samus said, "then Ike's sword locked on to some strong magic, and we were pulled back."

"Opposites attract," Ike said. "Ragnell has destructive magic, and it locked on to the healing magic of the Great Fairy, and we just had to follow where it pulled. Glad you called the fairies, or we might still be out there."

The two shared a glance.

—

Peach, Mario, and Bowser sat in a cavern off of the main one.

"You're alright now?" Peach asked Bowser.

"Never been better," he said.

"Then I think I owe you an apology. I said hurtful things without trying to find out why you did what you did."

"I was an idiot," Bowser said. "You don't owe me anything."

"You just-a did what you thought was best," Mario said.

"It's what we all do," Peach added. "At least, now, we can all forgive each other, right?"

"... sorry," said Bowser. He wasn't looking at Mario, and it was an awkward apology at best. But it was still an apology.

"So am I," Mario said.

"And I'm sorry to both of you," Peach said. "I should have told you both the whole story." Then she laughed. "The spell is broken," she said. "Bowser, you freed me. I can love who I want now."

"Who's that?" Bowser said.

"Both of you," Peach laughed. "I still love Mario. I love him a lot. But now, I'm free to love you, too. The spell took away my ability to love anyone at all, in any way, except him. Ever wondered why I had problems with my father? That's why. I could only like him, not love him. Now I'm free to love in all ways." She hugged Mario, then Bowser. "My mother said I'd love but once. She was wrong, thanks to you."

—

"This map of yours isn't accurate," Emmiline said, peering at Marth's map.

"It's not?" Marth looked up at the fairy.

"No," she said. "It's a trick. Give it to me for a moment." She held out her hand.

Marth put the map into it.

Emmiline rolled up the map, and held it in her hands. Blue sparks danced over it as she closed her eyes. Then she opened them and returned the map. "The red line is your path."

Marth looked down at the map. His shoulders slumped. "Oh, gods," he said. "We've been going around in circles!"

The path the map showed now traced a spiral around smash mansion. They had been walking in ever-increasing circles.

"A distraction," Marth said, holding his head with one hand. "This entire time, we've been walking in circles. All those small places, all those keys... they were a maze with no end. A waste of time, giving the hands time to prepare."

Roy smiled. "I don't think it was a waste."

Marth looked confusedly at Roy. "What?"

"Think about it," Roy said. "This entire time, we've been doing good. Mewtwo and Jigglypuff saved Takimi and Jin and the Grandmother. Samus and Peach helped Ike find his way. I helped Rachel, Pit, Mia, and Celia. Zelda rescued the fairies."

"Some of us learned valuable lessons," said Samus.

"Found friends that changed our lives," Ike said.

"Changed destiny," Peach said.

"We freed Melodia's sanctuary from the darkness," Young Link said.

_Samus saved a life,_ Navi said. _That baby would have died had she not been there._

"We helped Sael and Elyan free themselves from the control of the hands," Roy said. "How can you say it's not worthwhile? I'm glad we did this. We changed this world. Fear rules no longer. Just because these were small things, doesn't mean they're not worth doing. And now that we know, we go after the big prize, and we'll have saved all of this world, instead of just us. So stop looking like you've been duped. The hands duped themselves. Now we know how to defeat them."

Marth smiled. "That's true."

Roy grinned. "Got that right! We'll stay here tonight, as long as Emmiline says it's alright,"

"Of course," the Great Fairy said.

"Thanks," Roy said. "We'll plan, and tomorrow, we find the Hands and kick some butt!"

"How do we find the hands?" Marth shot back. "The map's a mess."

Roy grinned smugly. "Easy. Sael and Elyan used to patrol a lot of this place. So we just find them, and they can take us there."

* * *

:D


	43. Overload the Heart

And this chapter is where Elyan becomes cool. :D

I was listening to "Only Hope" by Mandy Moore when I re-wrote this, because Elyan is Sael's only hope.

* * *

Footsteps startled Nana out of her dreams. She saw nothing but darkness.

Immediately, terror filled her. _Where am I? Where's Popo?_

Then, someone shifted. She let out a squeak of fear before figuring out that it was Popo, fast asleep on the big bedroll they shared. She realized the darkness came from the fact that she'd buried her head under the covers. Pulling them away, she looked up at the stars high overhead. A sliver of a moon shone faintly in the sky, illuminating the remnants of the camp.

Someone came into view. Something he carried in his hands cast a circle of light around him, illuminating dark clothes, sand-coloured hair, and blue eyes. He walked alone, looking around.

Her eyes must have reflected the light from whatever it was he carried, because he turned toward her, started to run over.

She squeaked again, pulled her blanket up over her head, hiding her face once more.

"Please, don't be afraid." The voice was soft and gentle. "I won't hurt you. I need some help."

Nana moved the covers so one eye peeped out. He was smiling apologetically.

_He's not so scary,_ she thought. If he wanted to hurt her, he could have done so already.

"I'm sorry to wake you," the young man said, "But I need to find Roy. He and I have a friend in common, and she needs help very badly. Do you know where he is?"

Nana poked Popo under the covers. He started awake.

"Wha?" he mumbled. "It's still dark, Nan. G' back to sleep."

"Popo," Nana whispered. "Where's Roy?"

"Roy's gone," Popo mumbled. "He went out on a search-party thing last night and hasn't g't back yet. Ness w's there, but now he came back. Go ask him." Popo turned over and went back to sleep.

Nana got to her feet, wrapped her blanket around her. "I have to ask Ness," she whispered.

"Thank you," he whispered back.

Nana walked over to Ness' bedroll and poked him. He rolled over. "Whaaaat?" he moaned.

"Where's Roy?" Nana asked.

"He's at the fairy fountain with the rest of the ones who got hurt. Go away, I'm tired." Ness turned over and covered his face.

"Ness, there's somebody here who says he needs Roy's help."

Ness opened his eyes. He looked over the young man critically. "Nana, you don't even know who this guy is."

"My name is Elyan," the young man whispered. "I'm sorry to wake you, but I need to find Roy. My friend is in danger. She told me to find Roy."

"Can you prove it?" Ness challenged.

"You're a... PSI, correct?" Elyan said.

"That's right," Ness said.

"You can read my thoughts and know I'm telling the truth."

"If you know I can do that, then you probably know how to lie."

"Read my memories."

"Memories can be altered."

"Then read my subconscious. Read my motivations. It's impossible to lie there."

"You'd let me do that?"

"Yes."

"You must really value that friend of yours."

"More than anything. Hurry, please. I don't know what they'll do to her." His eyes were full of desperation. "Actually, I do know what they'll do to her, and I'd honestly rather not know. Please!"

Ness got to his feet. He looked up at the much taller Elyan. "I'm not tall enough."

Elyan knelt down. Ness put a hand to his forehead and sent a psychic probe down into the depths of Elyan's brain. He passed some ghosts of memories, like blurred photos. He found the part of the young man's mind where no though resided, only feeling. He found desperation, the desire to protect, and love residing there, love enough to overload the heart. Elyan was not trying to lie to him. All he wanted was to save the girl.

"He's... not an enemy," Ness said. "You said you wanted to find Roy?"

"That's right," Elyan said.

"Come on. I can show you the way."

"I'm coming too," said Nana.

Ness led the way as they walked through the darkness. Nana followed close behind, with Elyan in the rear.

Nana slowed down a moment to walk beside him. She already liked the young man. He was trying to rescue a girl, one he valued and cherished, and that was so sweet and fairy-tale-like that it was impossible for her not to like him.

A gentle gold light still flickered from his hands. "What's that?" She asked him.

He held it up, between two fingers. It was a little ball of light, like a tiny star. "It turns heat from my hands into light," he said. "It will last forever."

"That's cool," she said.

"Watch," he said. He threw the little ball up into the air, and the light disappeared, plunging the three into darkness. Nana flinched.

A moment later, Elyan caught the ball, and it lit up again. He saw the fear on her face, though it disappeared quickly.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

Nana looked down, ashamed. "Yeah."

"Are you afraid of the dark?" he whispered, leaning over.

Nana nodded once.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't know."

She gave him a little smile. "That's OK. But... please don't tell anybody. Especially not Samus."

"Why Samus?" Elyan asked.

"Because she says I can be brave. She'd think it's silly to be afraid of the dark."

"I don't know Samus personally," Elyan said, "But I'm sure she would understand. It's not a silly thing to be afraid of."

Nana smiled. "Really?"

"Of course not," he said. "It makes perfect sense to be afraid of the dark. I don't like it much myself. That's why I have this." He held up the tiny star again. "I've always been a little bit afraid of the dark. I never used to understand why, but I'd always be jumpy, tense, at night or whenever the lights went out. Sael saw how jumpy I was, and she asked the mechanic to make me this. At the time, she was just trying to improve my performance underground or at night, but it means a lot to me now that I understand."

"Is Sael the girl you're trying to rescue?" Nana asked.

"That's right," Elyan said.

"That's so sweet," Nana said, smiling. "I saw Sael once, I think. She kept changing the way she looked, and she talked to Roy a lot."

Elyan nodded. "That's her."

"Can you change your appearance?" Nana asked.

Elyan concentrated for a moment, and his nose grew into a long, pointy one. "Does that answer your question?"

Nana giggled. "That looks silly."

Elyan closed his eyes for a moment, and his nose went back to normal. "It does, doesn't it?"

"Why does Sael change all the time and you don't?" Nana asked.

"I used to," Elyan said. "I used to change appearance as much as Sael did. But now that I know better who I am, I've pretty much settled on an appearance I like."

"Neat," Nana said. "I wish I could change my appearance."

"Why on earth would you want that?" Elyan asked. "I got very tired of not knowing what I looked like. It makes you feel like you don't know who you are."

Nana put her head to one side. "That's true," she said.

Elyan smiled. Then he turned to Ness. "Are we nearly there?"

Ness turned around. His eyes were glowing faintly green. Then, he appeared to snap out of it. "huh? Oh, right. Yeah, we're nearly there. I was just tracking the magic of the Great Fairy." He blinked slowly, and his eyes were glowing again. "Just follow me." His started. "Wire Frames approaching."

Elyan looked alarmed. "I don't have a weapon."

"I left my hammer at the camp."

Ness turned around. "I don't think I can fight them all alone. Hiding would be a better option."

Elyan looked around. "Into this tree," he said. He picked up Nana and boosted her into the tree. He gave Ness a boost, then climbed up himself.

"Your light," Ness said. "They'll see it."

"You're right," Elyan said. He turned to Nana. "I'm going to have to put it out."

Nana smiled at him. "Okay."

Elyan visibly steeled himself and put the little light in his pocket. The glow disappeared.

Nana couldn't see a thing. She felt Ness and Elyan sitting in the tree behind her. Slowly, the feeling of them beside her disappeared.

Nana panicked. The dark, and being alone. The two things she was most afraid of. "Ness? Elyan?" she whispered.

A hand, much larger than hers, took the one that reached out. "Shh," Elyan said softly. "The Frames are coming." Nana was oddly relived to find the hand that held hers a little sweaty. The pulse she felt through Elyan's hand was racing almost as much as her own.

Rows upon rows of Wire Frames marched in perfect time past the group sitting in the tree. The glow they gave off pierced the darkness, illuminating those in the tree, but the Frames did not look up.

It seemed like an eternity for the group, perched in the branches. But eventually the Wire Frames all passed, leaving them in darkness once more.

"They're gone?" Nana asked.

"Yes," said Ness. "I... yes, they're far enough away."

Elyan quickly pulled the light out of his pocket. He squeezed it, and the glow returned.

Nana felt her heart slow back to its normal speed. "Let's go," she said.

Ness blinked slowly, and his eyes glowed green again. "Follow me," he said.

They walked on for a few more minutes. They came to a cave entrance. "In here," Ness said.

The three walked inside.

Immediately, they were surrounded by blue fairies. The fairies swirled around each of them, washing away any pain they might have.

The Great Fairy floated up to them. Nana looked at her in wonder. She was the most beautiful woman Nana had ever seen. She was pale and lightly blue-skinned, wearing a simple, light blue dress. Her eyes travelled over the three of them. Then she smiled. She turned to one of the fairies, spoke to her softly. The fairy fluttered off down a hallway.

_"Roy will be here in a minute,"_ she said.

"How did you know we were looking for Roy?" Ness asked.

The fairy smiled. _"Each Great Fairy has a gift. I can see a person's intent as if it was written across their forehead."_

"That must be useful," said Ness.

_"It is,"_ said the Fairy, _"except, unfortunately, if I get taken by surprise I'm not too useful."_

"Which is why you have to be more aware of your surroundings," Roy said from right behind her. "Or people could sneak up on you."

The Fairy jumped, whirled around, and laughed. _"Hello Roy."_

He grinned. "Sorry, but when you wake me up in the middle of the night I get a little bit irritated. What's up?"

_"_They're_ up,"_ the fairy said, waving a hand in Elyan, Ness, and Nana's direction.

Roy turned to the three of them. "It's the middle of the night, and I've been woken up in the middle of the night for three days in a row now," he said. "This better be good."

"Sael's in danger," Elyan said. "The Master Hand's got her."

"What?" Roy asked. Alarm crossed his face.

"We've been wandering together for a while. We went to sleep on the... beach by the lake, and I woke up this morning in my habitation pod. We must have been captured at night. I was able to escape, because I made a couple of... alterations to it before I left. I heard IO ordering the mechanic to create a program that allowed her to modify out memories and make us slaves again."

"IO?" Roy asked. "And who's the mechanic?"

"IO's another operator. She's the leader. She speaks for the Master Hand and the Crazy Hand. She's the one who first taught Sael and I how to work the system. She's the only one of us who has had a name from the very beginning. The mechanic is a robot who the Master Hand captured. IO learned how to, to a certain extent, operate him, and so forces him to design the computers and technology of the Hands' headquarters." Elyan frowned. "Please, we need to hurry. The mechanic is a fast worker, he'll probably have the program finished very soon, if not already." The thought of Sael returning to the machine she had been gave him renewed desperation. "I can't stand to see her like that again, it would kill me. Roy, I need help..."

Roy nodded. "Emmiline, can you send someone to wake Marth?"

The Great Fairy nodded, gestured to another fairy, who flew off at top speed.

"Marth and I will come with you," Roy said. "We'll have to do it by stealth, so we won't need anyone else."

_"You'll need a way to get there,"_ Emmiline cut in.

"You're right," Elyan said, his eyes going wide. "It'll take hours, and by then, it might be too late..."

Emmiline smiled. _"That's where I can help. I can teleport a maximum of four people to anywhere within a couple of days travel."_

"Thank you," Elyan said.

Marth ran in, rubbing his eyes. "What's the problem?"

"Sael's been captured," Roy said, "and it seems like they're going to try to turn her back to what she was before. We're mounting a rescue."

"Right," Marth said.

"Are we gonna have to walk all the way back?" Ness asked.

"By ourselves?" Nana put in.

"No," said Marth. "You two, stay here for tonight."

"But... I've never slept somewhere without Popo..." Nana said.

Elyan walked over to Nana. "I have something for you," he said.

Nana put her head to one side. "Huh?"

Elyan reached into his pocket and, crouching beside her, pulled out the little light and dropped it into her hand. "You trusted me when you had no reason to. You helped me. Thank you."

"But I thought Sael gave it to you," Nana said.

"She would want me to give it to you," Elyan said. "I have Sael as my hope now. I give the light to you. May it bring you the strength it brought to me."

Nana clasped the little light in her hand. "Thanks," she said.

Elyan smiled. "You're very brave."

Nana smiled back. "You're braver."

"Only at gunpoint," Elyan said grimly. "Trust me, if Sael wasn't in danger..." He got to his feet and turned to Marth and Roy. "Let's go."

"Alright," Emmiline said. "Close your eyes. Elyan, concentrate on where you want to go." Her hands started to glow blue.

—

IO walked down the hallway, the Mechanic rolling along beside her. They entered the room of the female Operator.

IO opened the top of the pod. The ever-changing girl glared up at her, struggling.

"You have struggled for the whole day," IO said flatly. "It is not working."

The girl said nothing. IO picked up a helmet from the side of the pod. The girl thrashed her head and tried to head butt, the helmet away, but IO grabbed her hair with one hand, holding her head still. IO shoved the helmet onto the girl's head. Her eyes went wide and blank as the computer accessed her inner system. IO allowed herself a brief smirk. _I win again._

IO herself was permitted to have emotions because she didn't let them get in her way. When the two lower Operators allowed themselves to become weak, their emotions were removed. And so they would be again. "Sleep well, _Sael_," IO said. She turned to the mechanic. "Start up the program."

The Mechanic placed a data disk into the drive. IO left the room, and the Mechanic followed.

—

Elyan opened his eyes when he stopped tingling. He looked around. They were in a grove of trees near the headquarters. "Follow me," he whispered. "They're keeping her in her room." He set off at a run, followed by Roy and Marth.

He raced through the back hallways of the building, the ones no one but he, Sael, and the maintenance robots used. Soon he came to a room with 'Controller - Female' on the door. Elyan opened it and ran inside.

Sael's pod was open. She was restrained in it. A helmet with wires was on her head, and her eyes were wide and blank.

"No..." Elyan whispered. He raced over to the pod and lifted Sael's limp hand, holding it between his own. "They've already started..."

* * *

Review if you like! I enjoy my character-driven chapters. Since characters are my favourite element of a story, character-driven chapters are my favourites.


	44. Mirror

This chapter is set to the song "Mirror" by Barlow Girl. (is that right?)

Anyway, listening to that song actually helped me to develop this chapter and Sael as well.

* * *

Sael stood alone. Her surroundings were a blank room... her bedroom? She stood in front of the mirror. She held a brush in her hands, and she brushed her hair, as it slowly changed from red and wispy to thick and black.

"Look at you," a contemptuous voice said. Sael turned around, and the hairbrush clattered to the floor.

"IO," she said. "What are you doing here?"

IO was pretty, with pale blonde hair, slightly curly, that just reached her shoulders. Sael had never seen IO change appearance.

"I've come to gloat, of course. And to tell you this: the male... Elyan, did you call him? He has left. He escaped."

Sael smiled. "Then why aren't you chasing him? After all, while you're vulnerable like this, he could be mounting a rescue." Her heart warmed at the thought of Elyan. It was amazing how quickly they had grown close. In a week of wandering together, free as birds, they had fallen so far in love that she couldn't imagine how she had lived without him.

IO smirked. "Ah, but he's not coming back."

"What did you do to him?" Sael asked. Her heart began to race.

"Nothing," IO replied. "I have done nothing to him. But he's not coming back."

Sael stared blankly. "I'm afraid I don't understand you."

IO laughed. "Don't delude yourself. You'd think he'd come back to almost certain capture to rescue you?"

"What do you mean?" Sael asked.

"He's sensible. He's got a strong self-preservation instinct. He hated this life so much. You think he'll risk going back to it? Do you really think he'd come back here to rescue a girl who hardly knows who she is?"

"I know who I am!" Sael said. "I'm Sael!"

"And what does that mean?" IO asked. "What's Sael like?"

"I'm..." Sael trailed off. "Well, Roy says I'm kind-hearted and gentle."

"Explain what you did to those wolves. Was that kind-hearted and gentle?" IO waved a hand, and an image floated into thin air. Sael was viciously attacking a pack of wolves.

"They were hurting the child! Tak-kim-i. Takimi. They were hurting her!"

"You could have knocked them out. But instead, you killed them. What else is Sael?"

"Well," Sael thought a moment. "Roy says I'm curious."

"Why do you never find out things for the sake of it, then? Doesn't sound too curious to me."

"Roy says I'm brave!" Sael cried out.

IO waved her hand again. A picture of Sael, on her knees, crying her eyes out. "That doesn't look brave. You couldn't face their anger with your head held high, you whimpered and cried."

Sael looked down. Was Roy wrong? "I... I always tried to be what he said."

"You're trying, and failing, to be something you're not. You're trying because you don't know who you are. You're letting Roy tell you who you are because you're scared of the empty hole inside you. I'll tell you what Sael is. Sael is a whimpering little coward who always did what she was told, until she got cold feet and took the easiest way out. She's a desperate girl who will be anything anyone wants so they'll be her friend."

Sael heard truth in her words. "I'm... not..." she said weakly.

"Yes, you are," IO said. "Look at you! You've lost any sort of stable appearance, and your shifting powers have gone wild. Who could possibly love something like that?" IO bent over slightly, being taller than Sael, so she could look her right in the eye. "How can he love you if you don't even know yourself?"

—

The mechanic looked at the screen showing IO and the girl's activities. IO was doing what she did best: completely breaking a person without even touching them.

The mechanic didn't like it. This was cruel. Everything they did was cruel, but he was forced to help.

He looked over at IO, her body collapsed in a chair as, inside the program, she mentally tortured Sael.

Suddenly, he realized something. IO was fully occupied with Sael. She couldn't control him when her mind was uploaded into the program.

If he had possessed a mouth, he would have smiled. Time for revenge for everything this woman had done to him.

He rolled out of the room.

—

"Oh, gods..." said Roy, staring at the screen which Sael and IO's struggle was being broadcasted to. "I was just trying to help, and this bitch is using it all against her."

"It's not your fault," Elyan said quietly. "IO's an expert at it. She finds people's insecurities, exploits them, widens them, until the person can't take it anymore and will do anything to make her stop. She could have done it to me, and probably to you two. I'm guessing she's going to keep at this until Sael's begging her to make her something, anything, as long as she knows who she is."

Suddenly, a robot rolled into the room.

Elyan looked at it. "Did IO send you here, ROB? Is she making you do something?"

ROB shook its head. It rolled over to the master computer, placed its arms in a pair of slots. A microphone came out. A message in text rolled across the screen.

**I am attempting the rescue of the 'Sael' unit. We cannot help her physically. It is the 'Sael' unit herself who needs to gain the willpower to get the 'IO' unit out of her mind. You are her... friends. She will gain heart from hearing you speak. Speak into the microphone, and I will broadcast it into the program in which the 'IO' unit and the 'Sael' unit are interacting.**

Elyan and Marth looked at Roy.

"What?" Roy asked.

"You do it," Marth said.

"You were her first friend," Elyan added. "She took heart from knowing you cared for her. Talk to her."

Roy stepped up to the microphone. He held it for a moment, and a transparent image of him appeared on the screen.

"Sael..." he said.

The Sael on the screen turned to the screen Roy. "Roy?"

"We hacked the system," he said, smiling. "We're here for you." Then he sobered up a bit. "I guess it's my turn to say sorry. I'm usually so confident about my judgements of people. They're usually right. But you're deeper than I first thought you were. The circumstances you were in made me think you were something you're not. I'm... sorry. I'm so sorry."

"It's alright, Roy," she said. "It made me happy. Thinking, for a while, that I knew who I was."

"But you're not like that," IO said. "You know that now. You're nothing, because you don't know who you are."

Sael smiled sadly at Roy. "I'm sorry..."

Roy took the mike away from his mouth. He turned to Marth and Elyan. "I can't convince her," he said. "She believes she's worthless. Marth, you have a go. You can convince anybody of anything."

—

The image of Roy disappeared. One of Marth appeared instead. "Sael," he said. "I have to apologise to you too. I was cruel in keeping a grudge like that."

Sael smiled. "Don't say that," she said. "You're not. I deserved it."

"Look," Marth said. "If this... woman," Sael could see the effort he was taking to keep his language civil, "manages to get you down enough, she'll erase your emotions, take your memories, and make you what you once were. This is a program in your head. It's basically a dream. You control it. Fight back, Sael. Don't let her do this to you!"

Sael smiled. "I'll try, Marth," she said. "Tell Roy thank you." She turned to face IO. "If this is my dream..." She concentrated. Blades appeared on both hands and on her right foot. She smiled. "I can fight."

The image of Marth disappeared. Elyan appeared next. "Sael!" he said. "You can do it. Don't believe anything she says about me, or you, or anyone. She's lying, Sael! You've seen IO break someone before. Don't let her do it to you." He looked at her for a long moment, and she saw the love in his eyes.

"I'll fight her," Sael said. "For you." She danced forward, lifting a foot for a kick.

IO dodged with no problem whatsoever. Sael attacked again. And again. And again.

"I can dodge anything you can throw at me," IO said smugly.

Sael put her head to one side. With one hand, she loosened the blade that was on her foot, out of IO's vision. "Is that so? I always remember that you didn't like to fight." She spun, releasing the blade on her foot and sending it flying at IO. IO dodged again. With a smirk, she flew at Sael, knocking her backwards, pinning her to the ground.

"Why are you bothering? Even if you do defeat me, the program will still run until someone turns it off. Why are you fighting?"

"For my friends," Sael said. "For Roy and Marth... and Elyan."

IO laughed. "You say Elyan's name like it's the name of an angel," she said. "You're in love with him, aren't you?"

Sael stared IO in the face. "Yes, I am."

"Too bad," IO said. "You think he loves you back?"

"Yeah," said Sael. "I do."

"Don't get cocky," IO said. "Elyan can do a lot better than you." She waved a hand to show the many women Sael had met. All of them beautiful and strong. Zelda. Samus. Peach. IO herself.

"There is a girl," IO said, "who will do anything for him. She has loved him forever and a day. Even now, she's moving heaven and earth to find him again. What have you done for him?"

"I fight for him now," Sael said.

"No you don't," IO snapped. "_You _fight for your hide." She got to her feet, letting Sael stand up. "You're a turncoat, nothing more. Have you ever been loyal to anything or anyone in your life?"

Sael thought, racing through people she had helped. She had never been on one person's side the entire time. She had started out serving the master hand, wanting to hurt Roy. Then she had followed Roy and wanted to hurt the Master Hand. And yet, though she was on Roy's side, she still had rescued someone he saw as evil.

IO waved her hand. A small picture of Sael appeared. Images of her doing everything she'd ever regretted played in front of her, while always, she changed appearance, unable to settle on an identity of her own.

Sael looked at the ground. What was left? Nothing. She had nothing to be proud of anymore.

A faint image of Elyan appeared in the air. "You _saved my life_," he said.

"And put you in danger," Sael replied in a dead, defeated tone. Her shoulders shook, and tears leaked out of her eyes. "I'm... sorry... I'm so sorry..."

—

The three watched as Sael sank to her knees, tears still leaking out of her eyes.

"What else can we do?" Roy asked.

Text ran across the screen again. **The 'Sael' unit must gather her own strength. The 'IO' unit has put up a barrier that keeps us from speaking to her or entering the program. We cannot do anything.**

"Sael has to do this... herself..." A smile crossed Elyan's face. "ROB, I need to access all data on Sael in this network." He pushed past the robot and started to type. His fingers danced across a keyboard he had once hated so much.

—

Sael cried. Nothing she did turned out right. She knew nothing about herself. She messed everything up. Why would they want her with them? Why would they value her?

"Insecurity is one of the faults of letting your emotions run away with you," IO said. "I am not insecure because I have a program that keeps unnecessary and inconvenient emotions under control. I can give that one to you. You'll be strong and unbreakable. Even I won't be able to do this to you again."

Something fizzled into being. Sael heard footsteps.

"Hey, snap out of it," a familiar voice said. Sael looked up.

A girl crouched by her. The girl had brown hair, and eyes that were almost black. She seemed to be slightly younger than Sael. Her hair hung to mid-shoulder blade. The girl continued, still in that strange, familiar voice. "You're not perfect. Don't try to be, it's definitely not worth it. Trust me, I know."

"Who are you?" Sael asked quietly.

"Me?" The girl looked amused. "I should think you'd know. I'm you."

"Me?" Sael asked.

"Well, sort of," the girl said. "Elyan hacked into the computer, found every bit of footage it contained of what you once were, including the memories they had stolen from you. He combined everything you ever did and created me. So I'm you." She smiled coaxingly and held out a hand. "Come on. I don't know what she's saying about you, but she doesn't know you either. Only you know you, and _maybe_ me. I'll tell you what I think Sael is. Sael is a girl. She loves people and thrives on friendship. She sometimes has self-esteem issues, but gets over them by remembering that she's loved. And I'll tell you something else." She bent over so she was right in Sael's face. "Sael _never gives up_. C'mon, I know there's some fight left in you somewhere! Remember when you were trying to save Elyan? You never gave up then. She's counting on your insecurity to do you in. Don't let it."

Sael let the girl take her hand and pull her to her feet. "Dry those eyes," the girl said. "By the way, just so this doesn't get confusing, call me Jessica."

"Jessica?" Sael asked, as the wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "Why? I thought you were me."

"That's the name your parents gave you. Since you've taken on Sael, I'll stay Jessica." Jessica smiled. "Now, I'll be happy to answer your questions later. For now, I believe we have some butt to kick." Jessica closed her eyes, held out one hand. A long stick with a diagonal bit on the end appeared in her hand.

"What's that?" Sael asked.

"A hockey stick," Jessica said. "It was our favourite sport for a long time. You'll probably find you're still fairly comfortable with it. And, what's more..." Jessica grinned, looking slightly evil, "when used in the right way, it can be painful and even crippling. And although I don't know what the right way is, I'm sure I can work it out. Want one?"

"Nah," said Sael, firing an identical smile at Jessica as she summoned a pair of daggers. "I'll use these."

The two stood next to each other, staring at IO. Both hesitated, as she was unarmed. "Well? What are you waiting for?" Jessica asked. "Pick your weapon. We haven't got all day, and neither of us like fighting someone who can't fight back."

Sael smiled. This girl really was her.

IO just smirked infuriatingly.

"Alright," Jessica said, irritated now. "You choose your fists. Get ready."

"Wait," Sael said. "I have a better idea."

Jessica looked over. "What's that?"

Sael smiled. "What if we trap her? Make this program her prison."

Jessica cocked her head. "It's more than she deserves."

Sael looked down. "All of the things this woman has said to me have been designed to hurt me. But on some, she's right. I hurt people when I was an operator. I'm not going to do it now. We imprison her. Her consciousness can live in this program forever. She won't be able to hurt anyone anymore, but we won't have to have her blood on our hands."

Jessica smiled. "You've learned a lot here, haven't you?"

Sael shrugged. "Things I should have learned a long time ago. Mostly not to let anger cloud my judgement."

Jessica looked concerned. "One thing..."

"What is it?" Sael asked.

"I don't have a body to be downloaded back into. This system is my home. I don't want to be stuck with her until I die."

Sael thought. "I have a pocket computer in my drawer. Will that do for now?"

"Certainly," Jessica said. "As long as you don't mind me decorating it." They grinned at each other again.

"Well, we'd better get on with this," Sael said. They moved forward, brandishing their weapons of choice.

Suddenly, Jessica flinched. "She's attacking me! She's got an... anti-hacking thing that's sucking the life out of me!" She doubled over.

Sael looked around. "Elyan!" she said. "If you can see me, I need you to download her into my body."

Jessica sighed. "No!" she said. "You're being an idiot! I'm a computer program. And besides - he loves _you_." She turned to the place that she knew the one who had summoned her was watching from. "Get her out of here. Please. If you value Sael's life, get her out of here now!"

Sael felt the pull of her mind being withdrawn from the program. She held on with all her strength. "Jessica, you're weak! She'll destroy you!"

Jessica turned to Sael. "Take these." She put out a hand. "My gift to you."

Images streamed from her fingertips, flowing towards Sael. Her old memories. The ones IO had taken.

Suddenly, they began to burn. Crumble. Disappear.

"You bitch!" Jessica shouted, turning to IO. "You _bitch_."

IO smirked again. "Now you'll never remember who 'Jessica' was, Sael. I hope you like your new name, because that's all you're ever going to be."

"I'm sorry," Jessica said. "I should have given you your memories back earlier. Now you'll never remember."

"It's alright," said Sael. "I'll make new ones."

Jessica smiled slightly. "Good. Now get out of here. You have a life to live." Jessica moved to Sael and pushed her into the growing portal.

Sael disappeared.

"You're no one," IO said. "Sael will never remember who she once was. You have no purpose."

Jessica stood tall. She smiled, and faced IO with every last bit of spirit she had. "Then that means I have nothing more to lose."

—

Sael's eyes flew open, and Roy pulled the helmet off of her head.

"No!" Sael said. "Jessica! We have to save her!" She ran to the computer and began to type.

ROB rolled print across the screen. **The 'Jessica' unit cannot be saved. Even if the 'IO' unit were neutralized, the antivirus would still destroy her.**

Jessica looked at the screen. She smiled at Sael. "I know," she said. "But at least I'll go out with a bang." She raised her hockey stick, concentrated a moment. The end burst into flames.

"Ready?" she asked IO. She smiled and flung herself at the older woman.

Sael looked down. She couldn't watch the girl she once was disappear like that.

**The 'IO' unit is neutralized.**

Sael looked up. Jessica panted, clutching her stomach. Then she turned to the screen. "Huh. That was easier than I thought it would be." she turned to ROB. "How long do I have?" she asked.

**The 'Jessica' unit has approximately an hour before she is neutralized. I can take the pain from the 'Jessica' unit if she wishes.**

"Please," Jessica said. She straightened up and smiled. "Hey, Sael, if you have the time, I think we have a lot to talk about. I may not be able to give you your memories back, but at least I can fill you in a bit."

Sael reached for the helmet, placed it on her head. "ROB, can you shield this room?"It is already done.

"Can you black out the screen that shows what's going on inside the program?"

The screen blanked out.

"We really need to get moving," Marth said.

"We can. ROB can just do a full upload. Then, I can come back out wherever the mini-portal is." Sael removed the helmet again.

Elyan picked up a small machine. "It's easy enough to carry. I'll hold on to it."

"Thanks. Upload me into the program, please. I'd like to get to know myself a little, while I have the chance."

* * *

This chapter just flowed from my fingers when I wrote it, and I only corrected it a little. How easily I wrote IO disturbed me... I kind of like her as a villain. She's completely dispicable (in my opnion).

But she's obviously not a very good fighter. Wow, Jess did that fast.


	45. Talking to Myself

The song for _this_ chapter is "Put Your Records On". I imagine Jessica as liking country music and showing it to Sael. This might've been one of her favourite songs.

Enjoy!

* * *

Jessica smiled when Sael appeared in the program. She waved a hand, and a pair of chairs appeared. "Pull up a chair." She peered at the simple, wooden chairs, shook her head, and waved her hand at them again. They changed into squishy red armchairs. "That's better."

Sael laughed and settled into the chair opposite Jessica. "Nice colour choice."

"Well, look at that! It's still your favourite?" Jessica asked.

Sael thought a moment. "Yeah. I guess it is!" She frowned. "Hey, how did you defeat IO so fast? I couldn't even touch her."

"I don't know," Jessica said. "A couple of swings with the stick and she just faded out." she bit her lower lip, thinking. Then she looked up, started to laugh. "But forget that. Check this out!" she grabbed Sael's arm and pulled her to the mirror.

Sael looked into it to see two identical girls looking back at her, one a bit older than the other. "That's a bit creepy," she said. "But... hey! I've stopped changing appearance!"

"Yeah," Jessica laughed. "That's great!" She looked Sael over critically. "You know, that leotard doesn't suit you at all. You need a new outfit." She stared harder. "If you change your clothes here you'll come out wearing them. I say something in red or blue... "

"How about both?" Sael asked. She liked red and blue and didn't want to have to decide between them.

Jessica smiled. "Let's go for it." She held out her hands toward the mirror, and the outfit Sael's reflection was wearing changed. Jessica and Sael had fun changing the clothes on Sael's reflection, eventually finding one both liked. Jessica moved it from the mirror onto the real Sael. Having finished that, Jessica immediately decided Sael needed a haircut. Sael liked the idea, so Jessica proceeded to pull scissors out of a pocket and attack Sael's hair with them. Sael decided she liked having shorter hair, even if the cut was a bit crooked.

Jessica reached into the air and pulled out a pair of hockey sticks. "Want to have a go? First to five points wins." At Sael's nod, she tossed her one of the sticks.

After a quick explanation of the rules, Jessica created a ball for them to play with. A couple of gentle passes, to get Sael used to the game, and the two launched into a furious battle. Just as Jessica had said, even if Sael didn't remember how to play hockey, something in her did, and she relearned fast.

"Ha!" she said, as the ball rolled past the line they had chosen Sael's goal. "That's my fifth point! I win!" She smiled. "For someone who doesn't remember ever playing hockey before, you're pretty good."

"Jessica?" Sael asked.

"Yeah?" Jessica said.

"I'm not... from here, am I? I mean Marth and Roy's world, not this program."

"Girl, nobody who lives here now is actually from here. Everyone here came from somewhere else or was created. But no, you're not from here. Neither is Elyan." Jessica shrugged. "So you're in very distinguished company." She shot a wicked grin at Sael, who blushed.

"Where am I from?" Sael asked, already wondering.

"A spooooky world far away."

"Jess, I'm serious."

"So am I. It's probably pretty far from here, and in my opinion, it can be _very_ messed up. But it's got it's good parts." She smiled, a nostalgic little smile.

"Think I'll ever get home?" Sael asked.

Jessica looked down. "That's not likely. I'd say you're stuck here."

Sael shrugged. "This world is beautiful. I don't mind." But another question was on her mind. "Do you know... how old I am?"

Jessica thought for a minute. "Well, how many years do you remember?"

Sael put her head to one side. "Um... two. I've been here two years."

"Then you're..." Jessica bit her lip. "Do you know the date?"

"Umm..." Sael said. "Hey, I know!" She waved her hand, conjured up a digital clock. It showed the time and date.

"September fifth..." Jessica grinned. "Hey, it's your birthday soon! Your... eighteenth birthday!"

"Eighteen? Really?" Sael looked shocked. "I wondered how old I was once. By comparing myself to Zelda, Samus, and IO, I thought I was fifteen."

"Yeah," Jessica laughed. "Small for your age. I know. I look about fourteen, and I'm almost sixteen. All my friends back home tower over me. In three days you'll be eighteen!"

"A birthday... That's good, right?" Sael asked.

"Oh!" Jessica cried. "I'd forgotten you'd never had a birthday party. Yeah, they're great! You get to play with friends, you eat treats and sometimes you get presents. Didn't the smashers ever celebrate their birthdays?"

Sael thought about that. "Yeah... Yeah, I think they did... Roy had a birthday once. Peach made a cake, and everyone sang a song, and he smiled even more than he usually does."

"That's a birthday party," Jessica said. "I won't be around for yours, so... here. Happy birthday." Jessica held out a hand. The hockey sticks they had played with were in them.

"Thanks..." Sael said, taking them.

Jessica grinned at her. She pulled a cupcake out of thin air and held it out as well.

The two feasted on conjured cupcakes and talked some more. Jessica played different styles of music until Sael found one she liked. Jessica also introduced her to a million other things, from fantasy fiction to the wonders of atmospheric systems. Jessica loved storms, and Sael found them quite interesting herself. They laughed and told each other all about their respective journeys.

"Oh!" Jessica said. "There's a couple of people you'll want to see." She waved a hand.

A beautiful woman appeared before them. She had long, dark, slightly wavy hair and bright blue eyes. Jessica looked at the woman with adoration.

"Who's that?" Sael asked.

"Mom," Jessica said. "Mom was wonderful. She... she was the best in the world, always so full of love and affection. She was a folk singer, an artist, a dancer. A bit unrealistic at times, but she was the greatest mom you could ever have."

"You talk about her in past tense," Sael commented.

"Yeah," Jessica said. "Mom's gone. Dad remarried a while ago." she waved her hand again, conjuring an image of a red-haired man with dark, slightly tilted eyes. "That's dad. He's a journalist. This is Michelle." she waved a hand again, showing a picture of a fair-haired woman with blue eyes. "Michelle is Dad's second wife. She's okay. She tries too hard sometimes and drives everybody nuts, but she's not so bad."

They talked on, sharing stories about friends and family.

"Sael," Jessica said, after a while. "I think it's time for you to leave. I think... I think my hour's almost up."

Sael looked stricken. She had forgotten about the hour time limit before Jessica died.

"Don't worry," Jessica said, laughing. "When the antivirus destroys me, I'll just go back to what I was. I'll be part of the computer. I've done it before. It's not bad."

Sael saw the portal out of the system appear. She turned and hugged Jessica. "Thanks. For everything. You're the best, Jess."

Jessica smiled when Sael released her. "Good luck, Sael." She pushed her gently through the doors. "See ya."

"Bye," Sael said as she was swallowed up by the portal.

* * *

D: I don't like killing Jessica, but I kind of have to. One Sael is enough. (Maybe too much, but oh well.)

I'd love a review!


	46. Free

This one doesn't really have a song. But I'm listening to The Riddle yet again... it makes me think of somebody I care about. A whole lot. He's not around right now, but he'll be back.

* * *

When Sael's molecules were reassembled by the mini-portal Elyan had placed on the floor, she looked like a whole new person. She wore long blue pants, a red shirt with sleeves that ended at her elbows, and soft brown boots. Her dark brown hair fell just to her chin. She carried a pair of... Jessica had called them 'hockey sticks', over her shoulder. She stepped onto the smooth grey floor of the Fairy fountain and looked around.

"Are you alright?" Elyan asked, stepping forward.

She ran over and put her arms around his neck. "Yeah. I'm gonna miss Jessica. But she promised she'd be OK. And she told me a whole lot."

"Like what?" Elyan asked, hugging her back.

"Well," Sael said, "I'll be eighteen in three days."

"Eighteen? Really?" Elyan asked, shocked.

"Yeah. Eighteen. I'm way to short to be eighteen, but Jess is sixteen, and we've been here two years. Speaking of here, where are we anyway?"

"A fairy fountain," Elyan said.

"Oh! Neat," Sael said, smiling. "It's beautiful."

"Sael, Elyan, we need a favour," Roy said.

Sael and Elyan turned, not letting go of each other. "Anything," Sael said, "after all you've done for us."

"We need you to guide us to the Final Destination," Marth said.

"Master Hand's hideout," Sael said. "Where he goes to, I believe the phrase is 'lick his wounds'."

"That's right," Roy said. "Can you help us?"

"Of course," Elyan said.

"How long 'till we leave?" Sael asked.

Marth thought a moment. "We have to wake everyone up, and go via the camp... an hour."

"Alright," Sael said. "While we wait, I think I can do something to help ROB."

"ROB?"

"Yeah," Sael said. "IO removed his voice generation box. She made it so he can only speak by running text across a screen. I don't know why. She probably did it just to be a jerk. Anyway, I might be able to help him out."

ROB rolled forward. Sael let go of Elyan, after giving him a little smile. "I'll need that mini-portal, and some tools."

"I'll get them," Elyan said. He walked over, picked up the little, rectangular device and handed it to her. "Does anyone here have tools?"

"Samus does," Roy said. "She's in that cavern over there."

"What does Samus have?" Samus asked, strolling into the room. She squinted for a moment against the sunlight filling the room from the hole in the ceiling.

"Tools," Roy said. "Sael needs to borrow them."

"Of course," Samus said. She disappeared back into the cavern just off the main one, and came back with a small backpack. She pulled a tool box out, and handed it to Sael.

"Thanks," Sael said. "Now, ROB, I think you'd better shut down while I do this. It won't be too easy if I'm trying to avoid being electrocuted by your wires. When you start up again, if I'm right, you'll be able to speak."

ROB's lights faded. Sael lay him on his back, and searched through Samus' toolbox, as Roy, Marth and Samus left the elegant cavern to wake the others. "Ummm..." she said. "It's... kind of dark in here..."

"Do you need more light?" Elyan asked.

"That would be nice," Sael said. "Do you have your star?"

"No, actually," Elyan said. "I... gave it to a little girl here. She needs it more than I do."

Sael smiled at that. "That's really nice of you, Elyan," she said. "But it doesn't solve my problem."

_"We can give you light,"_ A fairy said, floating into the room. Two more followed her. The second two settled on Sael's shoulders, and the first floated just above her. All of them started to glow even brighter than they had before, illuminating the beautiful, circular cavern and the oval fountain at the back. In the fountain was a beautiful chair, just under the water spray. It was carved as a giant seashell, rising up out of the water on a wave. Elyan marvelled at it. As he looked around, he noticed the little blue stones in the wall that glowed softly. There was a red gem sitting in the corner of the room.

"Thank you," Sael said.

_"It's no problem,"_ they chimed together.

Sael bit her lip slightly as she took apart the mini-portal. Elyan sat next to her as she worked. He watched her fiddle with little parts, press things, remove wires and put them back in.

"You've stopped changing appearance," Elyan commented.

"Yeah, I have," Sael said. "I guess I've settled on an identity."

Elyan nodded, smiling. "I'm glad," he said. "You seem happier now."

"I am," Sael agreed, then fell silent as she worked. A minute later, she commented, "This machine is incredibly convoluted. I can think of at least three ways this could be built more simply."

"But then it would be easier to figure out how it works," Elyan said. "IO probably made it convoluted on purpose."

"You have a point," Sael said. She fell silent again.

A few minutes later, Nana came running out of a cavern. "Hi Elyan!" she said. "Did you rescue her? Is this Sael? Is everybody okay? What's she doing?"

Elyan smiled. "Hello, Nana," he said. "Yes, Marth, Roy, and this robot here managed to recue her. Yes, this is Sael. Yes, everyone's okay. As to what she's doing, she's fixing the robot because the woman who kidnapped her damaged him."

"It seems you've got a little friend there," Sael said. "Might I be introduced?"

"Sael, this is Nana. She helped me find Roy and Marth when I needed help to rescue you."

Sael looked up. "Hello, Nana. It's nice to meet you."

Nana smiled shyly.

Others began to make their way out of the caverns. Zelda and Peach greeted Sael. Ness waved at Elyan.

Sael worked silently until everyone was nearly ready. Then, she looked up, smiled. "I think I've done it," she said happily. "Now, ROB just has to test it out." She picked ROB up, placed him upright, and inputted the start command. ROB's glowing eyes lit up.

"I've installed the voice command from the Mini-portal into you," Sael said to him. "It's not the same as your old voice, but it's as close as I could get it. Try it out!"

ROB paused, then a voice emerged from his speakers. Plain, dry, but young and male, it sounded vaguely familiar. **"Testing Vocal Unit. Vocal Unit fully functional."**

Sael looked immensely pleased. Then, confusion crept across her face. "Why does he sound like somebody I know?"

A muffled snort was heard, then the sound of laughter being desperately suppressed. "Sael," said Elyan. "Guess who recorded the voice for the portable devices." he clutched his stomach.

"Oh no..." Sael said, then sputtered into laughter.

"What's so funny?" Roy asked. The voice sounded familiar to him too, but he couldn't quite place it.

"That voice..." Elyan said, out of breath now. "It's mine. I recorded the voice commands for all portable devices. ROB has my voice now. See?" Elyan continued in a flat, dry, choppy tone, "**this should be interesting, listening to my own voice coming out of ROB.**"

Sael laughed harder. "I should have remembered before I gave him the voice pod."

"It's alright," Elyan said. "It's better than him being mute. You can always get his old voice back later."

"Yeah," Sael said, wiping tears of mirth out of her eyes.

"Are you two ready?" Marth asked.

"One second," Sael said. She stored Samus' tools back in the backpack, along with the remains of the mini-portal, grabbed her hockey sticks, and got to her feet. "Now I am."

"I'm ready," Elyan said.

"Then we should go." He turned and thanked Emmiline, who was now seated in the beautiful chair, for her hospitality.

_"It's no problem,"_ Emmiline said. She smiled. _"Come back anytime."_ She turned to Roy. _"You too."_

Roy smiled. "You bet."

_"Oh, wait,"_ Emmiline said. _"I forgot about my gift to the Lady Zelda. I'm strong enough now."_

Zelda walked forward. Emmiline floated off of the chair and over to her, her hair wet with fairy water.

_"My gift to you,"_ Emmiline said, _"is to purge the dark infection inside of you. You have fared well against it. I can take it from you."_ She transformed into a blue light, that surrounded Zelda in a whirlwind. Zelda's hair floated around her head, and she gasped.

When Emmiline took her fairy form again, Zelda's purple eye was gone. She smiled. "That feels a lot better." She took a step toward Link, and promptly slipped.

Link caught her on reflex. "What was that?" The two looked down.

There was a black goop, congealed on the floor of the fountain. "The darkness," Zelda said."That is right," Emmiline said.

Link got out an empty bottle. He held it next to the darkness, which promptly flowed inside.

"Why are you _keeping_ it?" Zelda asked, disgusted.

"Remember how I said that if it was still alive, I'd remedy that painfully?" Link asked. "Well, it's still alive, and I'm keeping my promise. I'll keep it in a bottle until I have time to take out my anger on it."

Zelda looked up, surprised, at the tone of Link's voice. Though his face was dead serious, his eyes were laughing. She smiled with relief. Then, making a split second decision, she reached out. "Let me carry it."

"Why?" asked Link, confused and concerned.

"I learned a good deal while fighting Dark Zelda. I want to keep it, for now, to remind me of what I learned."

"Alright," said Link. He handed over the corked bottle. Zelda put it in her pouch. She turned to Emmiline.

"Thank you," she said. "You've relieved me of a heavy burden."

_"It is no problem,"_ Emmiline said. _"It is what I was placed here to do. Farewell, Lady Zelda, Chosen Link. Farewell, heroes and beloved friends. May fortune smile upon you for the rest of your days."_

"Thank you," Link said, smiling. He shook Emmiline's hand, and Zelda hugged the fairy.

"We'd better go," Marth said. The group smiled and each person thanked Emmiline for sheltering them as they climbed the ladder up into the daylight.

* * *

And this plot arc is done too. The end of Dark Zelda? Probably. Or not. Who knows? ;D I could be hinting at something. Or I could just be saying it to annoy you.


	47. No Army In The World

There's a few lines of a song that discribe this chapter perfectly.

"Well, I guess we're big  
and I guess we're small.  
If you think about it, man, you know we've got it all.  
'Cause we're all we got on this bouncing ball,  
and I love you free, I love you freely."

It makes me think so much about the bonds they share. The love between them, how they battle against evil all together. I love those lines of that song, they're so inspiring. Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

The sun was shining bright when they reached the camp. Roy closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the warmth on his face. Then he opened them. The camp was in a green meadow, and he noticed some wildflowers growing on the edges.

Marth had run into the camp already, and everyone had begun to pack their things. Roy walked to the place his own bedroll lay and started to pack it in his backpack.

Not far away, he saw Nana race to her brother's side. "Popo!" she cried.

"Nana!" her brother said, hugging her. "I'm sorry, I should have come with you, I was just really sleepy... are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" Nana said happily. "I'm better than fine! I've got a new friend, and he rescued the girl he wanted to save, and I met a fairy, and..." she launched into a detailed, enthusiastic description of the events of the night before. Popo grinned at her.

"'cmon, chatterbox. Let's pack up our stuff."

Nana continued without a pause as she bent down to help Popo roll up a blanket. "And he gave me his hope and I wasn't scared even in the dark cave place. And the fairies lit it up sometimes too. And when they stop flying around, you can see them properly and they're really pretty. And they're all girls. There's no boy fairies at all!"

"Then how do they get more fairies?" Popo asked. "If there are no dad fairies."

Nana paused for a second, pondering that. "I dunno. I'll ask somebody... maybe Young Link would know?"

"Maybe," Popo shrugged. "Let's ask him once we're packed."

"Ok," Nana said. She smiled at her big brother. "So, what happened with you?"

"Nothing," said Popo. "I slept and slept until it was late in the morning. Then I sat and stared at the ground 'till you guys came."

"Oh," said Nana. Then she paused. "I missed you."

Popo looked touched. "Thanks, sis." he stopped his work for a moment to hug her.

Nana smiled like everything in the world was right. After all, Roy thought, to her it probably was.

—

Samus pretended not to notice when Ike fell into step beside her as she walked. It didn't work too well. Ike didn't _say_ anything, not even 'hello'. But he was there, and she knew it all too well.

After a brief but violent inner struggle, which she lost miserably, she turned to him. "Hello, Ike," she said.

"Hello Samus," Ike said.

There was an awkward silence. A single thought was strong in Samus' mind, and she didn't need to be a psychic to know it was on Ike's mind too. It was written all over his face. The singsong voice of the fairy who had guided them back to the fountain rang in her mind. _Not just any emotion will light the darkness!_

"I think..." Samus began, but faded out.

Silence.

"Well..." Ike said.

Silence.

Silence.

Silence.

"Oh, damn it all," Samus said. "We need to talk."

—

Everything was beautiful for Sael. As she and Elyan consulted their internal compasses, guiding the large group towards the Final Destination, she thought nothing could be better.

Just behind them, Marth discussed logistics, abilities, and battle plans with Roy. Off to one side, Samus and Ike quietly conferred.

And she and Elyan held hands, travelling free, working with heroes to free this world from oppression.

He caught her eye for a moment, and gave her a gentle smile. She smiled back, and the sun shone a hundred times brighter. If she didn't have a task, she'd be dancing across the grass and spinning around just for the fun of it.

—

The sun shone gently on them that day. They walked on and on, nothing disturbing them at all. They walked over a green plain, the air filled with the sweet scents of wildflowers. At the edge of the plain, blue mountains loomed.

"The portal to reach the Final Destination is halfway up that first mountain there," Sael said, stepping carefully through the knee-high grass. "The one with the squarish top. If we camp tonight at the base, we'll reach the portal by tomorrow night. Then, we can go through the next day."

"That sounds good," Marth said. He pulled out his map and puzzled over it for a moment. "This map doesn't look anything like that."

"That's because the map is a lie. It always is," Sael said. "You see, the Master Hand always has Elyan or I follow someone on their way to him. When they stop to sleep, we take them through a handheld portal to just outside the Final destination."

"Oh," Marth said. He looked disturbed.

"Yeah," Sael said.

"Hey..." said Roy. "That means this belongs to one of you." He reached into his pack and pulled out a dark blue silk ribbon, frayed at one end.

Sael went wide-eyed. "My ribbon!" she said. "I haven't seen that in ages!"

"I've had it," Roy laughed. "It must have fallen off when you were using that mini-portal, because I woke up to find it caught on the buckle of my pack. Along with... this." He reached into his pack again, pulling out a small charm shaped like a dolphin.

Sael cried out with delight. "Oh, thank you!" She took the charm and ribbon out of Roy's hand. She threaded the charm onto the ribbon, and tied it around her neck as a choker. "I've had this since I can remember. IO never told me where it came from... she forbade me to ask questions about it or to wear it at all. But I always kept it in my pocket, and sometimes even wore it on missions. Then I lost it... But the few weeks after that were a blur."

"You were unhappy," said Elyan. "IO reprogrammed us both then, and chained away our emotions. I remember seeing her dragging you down the hallway... your cheeks were wet."

"Oh," said Sael. "I... guess I cried." She fingered her charm. "I'm so glad to have it back! I don't even know what it is..."

"It's a dolphin," Marth said. "They're animals that live in the sea."

"A ... dolphin..." Sael said. Then she smiled. "Thank you so much!"

"No problem," Roy said. "I kept it in hopes of finding whoever owned it."

Sael skipped over the grass, twirling, leading the way. "Catch me if you can!" she called.

Elyan laughed, ran after her.

Roy grinned. "It's nice to see them so happy, isn't it? Sael was always so sad when we first met her."

"I agree," Marth said. "I think everyone's a little happier than they were then."

"Isn't that the truth," Roy agreed. He motioned to Nana, to Samus, to Ike, to Zelda. All were smiling, and walked with a spring in their steps. "We're on the right track, it's a beautiful day, and we're almost done with this quest. We've helped people, learned things, and we're free from oppression that feels like it's lasted a lifetime. What reason do they have to be unhappy?"

Marth looked around thoughtfully. "None," he said. "None at all."

"If we take the happiness we can get, we'll be better prepared for sadness that may come later."

Marth nodded. "That's true," he said.

"Then," said Roy, "Answer me this. Why are you the _only one_ in this group who's frowning?"

Marth shrugged.

"C'mon," said Roy. "You smile. Your face is capable of forming a smile. You said yourself there's no reason to be sad. So why are you?"

Marth was silent.

"No use worrying about what's coming," Roy continued. "We'll plan tonight. We'll worry later. Can't you smile, just for now? Please? It's depressing."

Marth had to laugh at that. "You're not concerned?"

"No," said Roy. "Not at all. We beat him once, we'll beat him again."

"But this time he's had time to prepare, and we may end up facing the other one at the same time. And this time, we don't just have to chase them away. We have to kill them."

Roy looked solemn. "Marth, look around you."

Marth looked around. The sun was high in the sky, the field was lit with sunshine. Small wildlife, unafraid, went about their business at the edges. The sight was calm, peaceful. If this had been back in Altea, Marth would be riding his horse through the field, perhaps with Elice or one of the guardsmen for company. It would be a time for relaxing, smiles and jokes all around.

"What do you see?" Marth was jolted out of his thoughts by Roy's voice.

"I see sky, a meadow, a forest to the east, and mountains. I see wildflowers, birds, and butterflies."

"And?"

Marth looked around again. "And... people?"

Roy grinned. "Exactly. Think about the power these people have. Think of their abilities, their strength, one by one. Think of the loyalty they have to each other. Now, imagine them all, fighting together. We're an army of heroes. We've each done amazing things on our own. Can you think of a single army, in all the worlds, that could stop us working together?"

Marth thought a moment. "We would have to be massively outnumbered. Fighters of our caliber would have to be outnumbered about five or six to one."

"Think about this," said Roy. "The bonds between us. We're all friends. Think about Link and Zelda, for one. Do you think, even outnumbered ten to one each, that they'd be defeated, fighting together?"

"No," Marth said. "They wouldn't lose. They'd never, not when the other was at stake."

"Exactly," Roy said. "Nana and Popo, too. They would resort to anything to save each other's lives. They're so close they can practically read each other's minds."

"Mewtwo will protect those he sees as his charges," Marth said thoughtfully.

"Which makes him ten times stronger than if he was alone," Roy said. "Then there's Ike and Samus."

"Ike and Samus?" Marth raised an eyebrow.

Roy smiled. "You haven't noticed? They've begun to work together very well. They have very compatible fighting styles, and they spend a lot of time together. They're becoming close friends, and close friends fighting together is a force to be reckoned with." He grinned. "Fox and Falco are best friends. Mario and Peach are much, much more than that. Bowser will fight for Peach, too. Sael and Elyan. What you didn't take into account, when calculating the size of an army needed to finish us off, is the bonds we have. We're all friends. We've fought together. Imagine the army needed to defeat us. Now, compare that army to the two Hands. Marth, they don't stand a chance!"

Roy grinned. There was no fear or doubt in his eyes. He knew they could do it, plain and simple. Roy's surety took the edge off of Marth's worries, and he found he was smiling.

"That's better," Roy said, nodding.

* * *

I enjoyed this chapter. Friendship makes me smile. Love makes me smile too. Affection in all its forms makes me smile.

Review if you love affection too! ^.^


	48. On Our Way

Only a few chapters left. How many times have I updated tonight?

-laughs- Whatever. Enjoy!

* * *

Night had fallen, and Nana lay awake. The stars were bright, the field pristine in the moonlight. But she wasn't looking at that. Nor was she enjoying the cooling night air, or listening to the calls of a pair of owls, breaking the silence of the night. She held Elyan's light in her hands, smiling as the light streamed through her fingers like a captive star.

"So that's Elyan's hope, huh?" Popo asked.

Nana jumped. "Oh, hi Popo," she said. "I thought you were sleeping."

"Nope," said Popo. "I can't sleep."

"Me too," Nana said. "I should be sleepy. After all, I walked all last night and yesterday. But I'm not."

"Wanna go for a walk?" Popo asked.

"Okay," Nana said. She got to her feet, holding Elyan's star in two fingers like she had seen him do. "Where are we gonna go?"

"I dunno," Popo said. "Let's go spy on everybody else. Maybe somebody's doing something interesting."

"'kay," Nana said.

She and Popo stole through the camp, quiet as a little pair of mice.

"Let's go see Link and Zelda," Nana said.

"Nah," Popo replied. "They're gonna be married. That's boring. They're probably kissing or something, if they're not sleeping."

Nana stuck out her tongue and blew a quiet raspberry in reply. "It's not boring, it's _romantic._ But you're a boy, so you'd never understand that."

Popo looked affronted for a second, but then turned away. "Maybe Marth and Roy are doing something cool."

"They're _sleeping_," Nana said. "Roy is snoring. Marth is frowning. But neither are doing anything interesting."

Popo cocked his head. "Shh," he said. "I hear something."

Nana stopped and listened silently to the night. Only the sounds of the owls. Then...

"That's Ike and Samus," Popo said.

"Oooh! Let's go see," Nana said. She grabbed Popo's hand and pulled him toward the voices.

They hid in the bushes near Samus and Ike's bedrolls. Nana dropped the star into her pocket as the held their breaths to listen. The two were talking quietly, so they could only hear snatches of the conversation.

"... and I don't know what to say," Ike said softly.

"You could start by explaining..."

"But I don't know how to explain. It is what it is. _You_ could explain..."

"But I told you a hundred times... I don't _know_..."

"Neither do I. Stupid fairy. Complicating our lives with its gibberish."

Samus let out a short, despairing laugh. "I don't get it."

"Neither do I. Neither of us are going to understand anything unless we just talk about it..."

"I understand one thing," Samus said. She leaned forward, toward Ike.

Ike's voice sounded tense. "What's that?"

Nana grinned, looking at Popo. "Now they're gonna kiss," she whispered.

"Ugh," Popo replied, equally quietly.

Samus reached out a hand. "I understand that you have a moth on your head," she said, letting the small creature fly away.

"Oh," Ike said.

Samus laughed. "Well, what did you expect me to say?"

"I... I don't know," Ike said. His voice took on an annoyed tone. "Something useful."

"I'm useless this late at night," Samus said firmly, with a sharp edge to the tone. "If you're here solely to talk about what happened while we were in that spell, then you might as well go to bed, because you are getting nothing insightful or useful right now. However, if you enjoy my company and would like to talk to me, I would welcome your conversation."

Nana heard a hint of a smile in Ike's voice as he said, "I'll stay. Sorry for pressing you."

Samus sighed. "It's okay. I'm sorry for snapping." She sighed again. "I just don't _understand_..."

"They're gonna talk in circles like this all night," Popo hissed. "Let's go."

"'kay," whispered Nana. Quietly they made their escape from the pair, without disturbing their conversation.

"Who do you wanna spy on next?" Popo asked.

"I dunno," Nana said. "Let's just go for a real walk."

"Okay," said Popo.

The two walked a little ways from the camp, staring out onto the moonlit field.

"Pretty, isn't it?" Nana said, smiling. "It's such a nice night."

"Nana?" Popo began. "Sis?"

"Yeah?" Nana asked.

"How come you're growing up, and I'm staying the same?"

"What d'you mean?" Nana looked at Popo. He didn't often sound like this.

"You're getting braver. Making more friends. Learning stuff. And I haven't changed."

"That's okay," Nana said, smiling at him. "Why would you need to? You're happy, right?"

"Yeah," Popo said.

"So why change? I was sad. I was scared of the dark, of monsters, and of stepping out. I was sad, so I changed. Now I'm happy. And you're the same, because you were already happy."

Popo smiled. "Just don't leave me behind when you change, okay?"

"I'd never," Nana said. "You're my big brother. And my best friend, too. We're a team."

"Yeah," Popo said. "A team." He smiled. "And we'll always be one, right?"

"Right," Nana said. The two shook on it.

As Nana pulled her hand back, she let out an enormous yawn. Popo yawned as well.

"I think I'm gonna go to bed now," Nana said. "'night Po."

"Good plan," Popo agreed. "We have to march a long way tomorrow. 'Night, Nan."

—

_The hands were bigger than he remembered. So was the platform, hanging in purple darkness, that was the Final Destination. And they just kept getting bigger... no, it was him who was getting smaller. _

_An army, wearing the crests of every force he had ever fought, surrounded him. And no matter how hard he fought, there were always more. _

_Something floated above them. It dripped a dark liquid... blood. _

_Suddenly, as if it was lit by a spotlight, he could see the something."Roy!" he shouted. But Roy couldn't hear him._

_Blood dripped from a million wounds on Roy's face and arms. His clothes were torn, and he hung slack, as if he was on a string. His jaw moved loosely._

_"No... army... could... ever defeat us. Right, Marth? We're all too close... power that you didn't factor in..."_

_Suddenly, a hundred corpses were hanging in mid air. Zelda. Link. Popo and Nana. Samus. Mewtwo. Ness. Young Link. A faceless woman in purple robes._

_There was that girl. From his travel. The one who had thought he was a hallucination. She was on the ground, clutching at nothing, crying and crying. Her tears formed into a waterfall, falling off the edge of the Final Destination._

_One by one, the corpses fell into the waterfall. One by one, they plunged into the darkness, carried on a river of tears. Sael. Elyan. Ike. A girl with dark, curly hair, who he was sure he hadn't seen in years. Maybe once... from a long, long time ago._

_He tried to run to them, to rescue them, but something held his shoulders, holding him back._

_"No... army..." Roy said, floating towards the edge. "We're too close. Right? Right..."_

"Marth!"

Marth struggled against the grip on his shoulders. Someone was shaking him. "No... stop... let go..." His eyes snapped open, and he let out a cry of alarm.

"Marth!" Roy shook his shoulders again. "It's just me. Calm down. You were having a nightmare."

Marth breathed deeply, letting his heart rate settle back to normal. "Thanks," he said.

"No problem," Roy said. "You ok? That sounded like one heck of a nightmare."

"It was," Marth said. "But I'm fine."

"Good," said Roy. "Then get up. We have to go, remember?"

"Right." Marth said. He gave Roy a wry smile. "Thanks a lot."

"What, you'd rather have a nightmare than get up a little early? Wimp."

"Hey," Marth said mildly, getting to his feet.

Roy threw him a grin from over his packing. "So what were you dreaming about, anyway? It seemed pretty bad."

"Blood," said Marth. "Every army I'd ever fought... and a river of tears that this girl I only ever talked to for a second was crying... and there was a faceless Sanctuary woman, and someone who might have been a childhood friend. There were the Hands... corpses of my friends..."

"Gee, doesn't that sound pleasant," Roy said flatly.

Marth laughed bitterly. "Doesn't it."

"Well, maybe some walking will take your mind off of it. After all, we have plenty of that to do today."

—

Fresh, clean air. Her eyes closed, Zelda reached out. She could sense Link behind her, a warmth like the sun on her face. She felt the others, sleeping, waking, or getting ready. Before, she had been afraid to meditate. Afraid of what Dark Zelda would do while her mind was relaxed. But now that she was alone in her mind, she enjoyed the calm, the enhanced perception of the world around her. She was truly safe.

"Zel?" Link asked.

She woke herself a little bit. "Yeah?"

"We have to go," Link said.

Zelda let herself gently touch down onto the ground. She opened her eyes and got to her feet.

For a moment, the two just smiled at each other.

"Good morning," Link said, hugging her.

"Good morning," Zelda replied, hugging him tightly back.

They stayed there for what seemed like an eternity and still too little time.

"After this," Link said, "After all of this is over,"

"We're going to get married," Zelda agreed. "Finally."

Link laughed. "How long have we been engaged?"

"Three years," Zelda replied. "I remember the day."

"So do I," Link said.

"I remember a shadow knight attacked us as you were holding the ring," Zelda giggled. "Then you trounced it in about three seconds."

"It deserved it," Link said. "What terrible timing."

"Except," said Zelda continued, "it pushed you down once first. So when you came back, you were all covered in mud. And we had to look in the mud for the ring, where it had fallen in the puddle. So I was muddy too. Then you wiped the ring off on your hat, which was muddy, and said-"

"This isn't how it was supposed to go. Under all the dirt, it's a sapphire," Link laughed.

"And then we hugged, so we were both thoroughly filthy," Zelda added, "and then, one of my father's soldiers came along to bring me back. So you had to ask me in my father's throne room, when we were both covered in mud. And he flipped."

"I thought the whole world was against me marrying you," Link said.

"It wasn't," Zelda said. "Just my father, the Shadow Knights, and everyone in the castle. _I_ was all for it."

"And that's all that mattered," Link said softly.

They stood there for another moment. They parted reluctantly, and returned to packing up their things. But when they stood, packs on their backs, Zelda's hand found Link's again.

"Love you," he whispered, as they stood in the growing group.

"More than ever," Zelda whispered back, kissing him.

—

The mood was distinctly more solemn as they climbed. For some, but not for Sael. She couldn't help but think that even if she died today, she wouldn't mind too much. Nothing could be sad or dark. Not now.

It wasn't too hard a climb, as long as you watched where you put your feet. The mountain wasn't steep. The air was getting cool, but not so cool as to be uncomfortable.

They climbed. Sael had been here before, so had Elyan. So they walked first, calling out warnings of loose rocks and caves and the like. After a while, they stopped.

"Come on," Elyan said, taking Sael's hand. "There's something more we can do to help them."

"What is that?" Sael asked.

"Food," Elyan said. "They're running low on provisions."

"We have a store near here!" Sael said, smiling. She wanted to do anything she could to help them. It was only fair, after everything they'd done for her. And they had food to spare in that store.

"Yes," Elyan agreed. "Let's go get it."

"Marth," Sael said, running over to where he stood. "Please tell the others to save their provisions. Elyan and I have a store of food here that we will gladly share."

"You do?" Roy asked.

"Yes," Sael said. "There are quite a few along the paths Elyan and I usually take. It's why, even though we go on several day journeys, Elyan and I don't usually take backpacks. It's bland, but nourishing, and can last for years without perishing."

Marth smiled. "Thank you," he said. "I was worried about what we'd do for food. We only have enough for about three more days."

"We'll be back in a minute or so," Elyan said.

"Wait," Sael said. "There's a place where we can get clean water there. We can take everyone's canteens and fill them."

Marth, Roy, Elyan and Sael walked among the group, collecting everyone's canteens.

"Want me to come?" Roy asked. "That many canteens will be very heavy to carry back."

"We can do it," Sael said.

"Please," said Roy. "Let me help. Trust me, canteens are heavier than they look. Ever carried one?"

"No," Sael said.

"You won't be able to carry all those yourself," Roy said. "Trust me on that."

"Alright," Sael said. "Thank you."

"I'll go first," Elyan said.

"Watch out, Roy," Sael said. "The terrain here is much more dangerous than the paths Elyan and I have been taking so far."

Roy nodded. "I'll be careful."

The three proceeded in a line, picking their careful way along the side of the mountain.

"Here," Elyan said. "It's just under this rock..." He leaned over and started to push. "Funny, I can usually get this out. It must be really stuck this time."

"We haven't used this store in a long time," Sael said. "That's probably why it's stuck."

"I'll help," said Roy. He stepped over to Elyan and began to push as well.

"Careful," Sael warned, as the plate of rock began to move.

"It's down here." Elyan let himself down into the cavern. "Hey Roy, can you stand up at the entrance? Then Sael and I can pass the things up to you."

"Sure," Roy said. Sael leapt down into the cavern after Elyan.

The cavern was small and cool. Two thin pallets lay inside, for when Sael or Elyan would spend the night in it. There was a plain wooden comb, belonging to Sael, and two metal cups sitting on a shelf. A huge case of nutrient mix lay inside.

Together, Sael and Elyan hoisted the nutrient mix up out of the opening, and Roy helped them manoeuver it on to the edge. As an afterthought, Sael picked up her comb and their cups. Elyan, who had already climbed out, caught her arms and helped her out.

"We can get water over there," he said. "We can leave this here for now. It's not like anyone else wants it."

"Does it really taste that bad?" Roy asked.

"It doesn't taste or smell like anything," Sael put in. "It's pretty odd. So no animal will go after it, because of the catch on the container and the fact that it gives off no smell."

Roy put his head slightly to one side. "Nothing? Really?"

"Nothing," Sael confirmed. "C'mon."

As they walked towards the sound of flowing water, Sael continued. "It has no taste, aftertaste, or smell."

"That... that doesn't happen! Everything tastes like something!" Roy looked perplexed.

Sael shrugged. "Not nutrient mix," she said. "IO had a machine that made it. Maybe it takes away all the taste?"

"But why put an effort into making a food taste like nothing?"

"Perhaps IO was just mean," Elyan suggested. "She probably didn't want to accidentally hit on a flavour one of us likes. Flavour provokes emotions, right? Maybe she used the flavourless food to keep her control on Sael and I secure."

"Like she used everything else around us," Sael said. "The featureless walls, our rooms. I believe a bedroom is supposed to have a bed. Ours didn't."

"Here's the water," Elyan said. He bent down to the edge of the clear, gently flowing stream and began to fill one of the canteens. Sael took one and started to help. Roy began a third.

The three were silent for a moment as they filled the canteens, listening to the gurgle of the creek. A bird trilled out of their sight.

Elyan paused a moment, looked at the sky. "Strange," he said. "I generally only see that cloud formation in winter."

"Which one?" Sael asked.

"Look." Elyan pointed upward. "That one."

"That's a rain cloud," Sael said. "So?"

"No," Elyan contradicted her. "It's a storm cloud. But look how high up it is. If it gets much colder soon, there could be a major snowstorm."

"A snowstorm? But it's September!" Sael said.

"But you know how the other hand can manipulate the world around him," Elyan said.

"The crazy Hand." Sael's voice dropped to barely above a whisper.

"He's a magician?" Roy asked.

"Not exactly..." Elyan said. "But for all intents and purposes, he is the most powerful magician in the world. But no one can control him. Not the Master Hand. Not IO. He's wild, and bored. He'll do whatever he wants just for the fun of it."

"IO always used to talk him into doing things," Sael remembered. "She'd always be so careful, guiding him into making the decision on his own, never telling him to do anything. If you told him to do something, he'd do the opposite just to irritate you, or do nothing at all."

"He's completely unpredictable," Elyan said. "Sometimes he'd decide to 'play' with Sael or I."

"That was never very fun," Sael agreed.

"That's all of them," Roy said, getting up. "Let's go."

The other two got to their feet, and the three made their way back to the camp. When they got to it, they picked up the container of nutrient mix, and continued.

The group seemed grateful for the extra rations, if confused by the lack of taste. They each ate a small helping, and drank some water. Sael and Elyan returned the food to the little cave, and the group started on their way again.

Roy walked beside Marth as usual, but this time he looked worried. He talked to Marth, who then called Zelda, Link, and Ganondorf over. The five conferred for quite a while, as Sael and Elyan led the way up the mountain.

—

The sun was setting behind them when Sael and Elyan stopped. It was warm on their backs, and coloured the sky orange, purple, and gold.

"The portal is just up there," Sael said to Roy.

"This is the best place to camp," Elyan added. "It's the flattest area on this part of the mountain."

"Alright," said Marth. He called out to the others, and camp was quickly set up.

Sael and Elyan sat down on the hillside to watch the sunset.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Sael commented softly.

"It is," Elyan agreed. "Another day is over... but this time, I can feel glad of what I've done today."

Sael looked at Elyan, a memory rising into her mind.

_"This day is over," he said, "and you have done nothing. That is all that says."_

_"But it's beautiful!"_

_"What is beautiful?"_

Sael smiled. "You've changed so much from my counterpart of before," she said. "You laugh now. You're ... gentler, and kinder."

"You've stopped being so withdrawn," Elyan replied. "Even when we were emotionless, you always seemed so listless."

Sael leaned against Elyan's shoulder, and he put his arm around her. He held her close, looked at her. She turned shining eyes to him. "It's amazing, isn't it? How happy one person can be at one time."

He smiled and squeezed her shoulders. "I know," he said.

—

The stars were out. Everyone else was asleep. Marth could hear their even breathing.

He knew he should be asleep. He'd be no good to them if his mind was confused by lack of sleep. He closed his eyes, but still his mind raced.

A song came into his mind, slipping in on gossamer wings. It was on the piano, that he was certain of. He didn't quite remember where he'd heard it. Maybe he had played it once... he didn't remember. More about the song danced on the edge of his memory... but what was it called? Where had he heard it? With a mental shrug, Marth decided to just enjoy it for now.

He felt someone shaking him again. He opened his eyes to see morning light Roy grinning at him.

"Time to get up," he said. "What am I, your personal morning bells? Time to get moving. We have a battle to fight."

"The final battle... " said Marth, getting to his feet. "The one we have to win."

* * *

Next chapter is the Final Battle of Final Battleness. A song for that, if you felt like being silly, would be the Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny. But no.


	49. Don't Get Scared

It's here! The Final Battle of Final Battleness. :D

The song for this is Evolution by Ayumi Hamasaki.

Enjoy!

* * *

As they walked along the shimmering path leading to the Final destination, Nana looked around. All around them, was blackness. No sky, no floor. Just dark.

"Nana," Popo said. His voice was tight. "Does... everybody look fainter to you, or is it just me?"

Nana looked around. Indeed, the people around them were fading out, bit by bit. First, the colours on their clothes and skin would pale, then they would become see-through, then they would disappear.

"Samus!" Nana cried. "Look!"

Samus looked around. "Who said that? Nana? Where are you?"

Nana ran over to Samus. "I'm right here! Right beside you!"

"I can't... see you..." Samus said, her voice betraying a growing fear.

"We're being separated!" Zelda cried. "By magic! Each of us is being sent into a pocket dimension surrounding this path!"

Link put his arms around Zelda and held on as the two faded completely out of Nana's sight. Samus faded, Ike following as he grabbed her arm. Sael and Elyan faded. Then Marth. Roy. Fox and Falco. Peach, Mario, Bowser, Luigi... slowly the entire group faded, until Nana and Popo were the only ones there. Nana felt her fear rear up to choke her.

"Popo!" Nana cried "No!" She grabbed on to Popo's hands and held on tight. "Don't leave!"

Popo grabbed Nana in a hug. "Never, sis," he said, growing solid once more.

Nana heard the voice of Zelda in her mind. _Listen, everyone! We're being sent by magic into our own nightmares. We have to battle the ones who are there to get out! Don't let fear overtake..._ her mind voice changed to a mind-scream. _Link!_

And Zelda disconnected from the mindlink.

The two were alone in darkness. "Hold on to me," Nana said. "If you let go, we'll be separated!"

Popo gripped Nana's hand. "We have to conquer our fears," he said.

"Darkness," Nana mused. "And being alone. But we've beaten that one by holding onto each other."

"Light," said Popo. "We need light."

"I know!" Nana cried out. She reached into her pocket with her free hand and pulled out the star. She held it high in two fingers.

Around them, the Final Destination grew clear as the darkness faded. They weren't in total darkness anymore... and they weren't alone, either.

"The Master Hand!" Popo said.

It shot towards them with frightening speed. Popo yanked his sister out of the way.

—

Zelda felt tears falling down her face. Link's eyes were closed, and he was tense, his heart was beating incredibly fast. He was being sucked into a nightmare of his own. As he began to fall backwards, she bent to catch him.

She heard a splintering sound. A crash... like a jar breaking.

Suddenly, something purple and glowing rose up beside her. It looked like her.

_As if that stupid fairy could really kill me, Dark Zelda said. She flowed closer. Perhaps I'll take a different form this time... how about this?_

Dark Zelda grew taller and stronger. Her dress changed into a tunic, her shoes into boots. Her hair became shorter, and a hat appeared on her head.

The last thing to change was her face. Into Link's.

_How do you think Link will faire against me?_ whispered Dark Link. _Your magic kept me at bay. Will his?_

—

Roy looked around. Just what he knew was coming. It was the witch.

"Couldn't escape me, could you?" She asked, in a voice smooth as silk. "No one can. See?" she gestured to the floor.

"Pit!" Roy gasped. Pit lay on the floor surrounded by feathers, his wings plucked bare. He was dead, and his arrows lay broken by his side.

Rachel. The corpse that had been on the boat, dead arms wrapped around the corpse of what must have been her fiancé.

Mia. Her purple hair tangled and matted with blood.

Celia. Broken and bloody, her white dress torn, and her spellbook ripped to pieces.

"No..." Roy whispered. And he heard the soft sizzle of rain beginning to fall.

—

Captain Falcon was in a racecar. That wasn't surprising at all. Most of his nightmares were about crashes or losses.

Then a familiar car swung by. He got a glimpse of Fox in it, grimly steering the car past his.

Right. So it was this one. Reliving that race, and the terrible defeat, over and over and over.

—

Samus fought the Space Pirates as hard as she could. But she was the scared teenager again, with too little experience and ability to fight. Ike had been there a moment ago, fighting by her side, but as she grew younger, he disappeared.

Then, she remembered what was coming next. Who was going to die while she stood helpless. "No..." she whispered. "Not again..."

—

Wire frames had taken the place of the armies of before, different looking, but still infinite. The river of tears appeared right on cue, along with the old friend and faceless Sanctuary woman. Roy. The corpses of his friends started to go over the waterfall once more.

His frustration built up inside him, into a cold rage. "No," he said out loud. "Not again. Not this time." He summoned up his inner magic, and his sword sparked with power.

—

Samus raced through the Space Pirates, hacking them down with her electric whip. She saw a sword lying on the ground. Ike's sword.

She picked it up and hacked off the head of the nearest Pirate.

"This time," she said, "I'm going to save him. I'm going to save both of them." She whirled the sword in a swinging arc, killing several more pirates.

"And nothing you do can stop me!" she yelled to the universe.

—

Captain Falcon smiled as he gripped the wheel. "This may be a dream," he said, "But it's one I can change. That means I can win this time."

He stepped on the gas.

—

The rain burned. Roy clutched his chest, as he felt his heart chill. His body grew colder and colder. He felt himself freezing.

"No!" cried a voice. Celia sat up, her cuts repairing themselves, her dress becoming whole once more. She cried out a word he couldn't quite hear.

"Celia?" Roy asked. He felt as though he was going to faint from pain, but the rain was disappearing.

She smiled. "I learned some new spells. Including Dream Travel and Dispel. I guess this is your dream?" She looked around. "I didn't know you cared about us this much."

"I care about my friends," Roy said.

"Aww," said Miranda. "What a touching reunion. Now_ die_." Her voice became loud and filled with magic.

"She's using command word!" Celia cried."Don't listen to her. Just attack!" She reached out and fired a beam of pure, white light at the witch. But it was countered by Miranda's darkness. "Roy!" Celia shouted. "Help!"

Roy tried to summon his fire, but the rain had turned his heart to ice. He walked slowly into Celia's beam of light. It passed through him, warming his frozen magic. When her light came out the other side, it was the colours of fire. He tossed his friend a smile as she summoned all the magic she had.

His sword began to glow bloodred.

—

Still they fought each other. Mewtwo could see his creations were worn out. They couldn't win. They could only die.

_Stop,_ he cried. _Stop NOW!_

None listened but his Jigglypuff and Ash's Pikachu, which hadn't been fighting anyway.

_I can help,_ Jigglypuff called. She stood stock-still. When the other Jigglypuff looked at her in confusion, she began to sing.

It was the most beautiful song she had ever sung. As Jigglypuffs will, her opponent stopped and joined in. They sang together in a brilliant harmony.

Mewtwo reached forward, grabbed Mew's small arms, and stopped him. They hung in the air, silent, as the song rang through the stadium.

—

"Nana!" Popo cried.

Nana whirled around. Popo was in the Master Hand's grip. It threw him down against the floor, and he went limp.

Nana felt her heart skip a beat. Popo was on the ground, knocked out, maybe dead. And she was alone, the Master Hand attacking her.

Suddenly, a phrase she had heard once popped into her head. _Don't get scared - get mad._

Nana held her hammer in two hands. She was scared. She was terrified. But she was also mad. Nobody touches her brother! Nobody takes away her friends! Nobody hurts the people precious to her! Nobody tries that to her and _lives_!

Nana did the unheard of. She attacked. Alone. When Popo was defeated, usually, the both of them went down. But not this time. She jumped, smacked the Master Hand on a finger. As she was falling, she let an ice block come shoot out of her hammer. She jumped back up, throwing the climbing rope that she carried upwards. It wrapped around the Master Hand's glove. She yanked on it, sending her skywards, and attacked again. She swung on the rope, hitting him over and over and over.

In the distance, she heard marching feet.

—

Sael was back at their headquarters. She saw, on the computer's main screen, Wire Frames. The biggest bunch that had ever been mobilised at once. Heading towards the Final Destination. On camera, Sael saw Nana attacking the Master Hand alone. Shock might keep him at bay for now, but if the Frames arrived, Nana was dead.

"Hello, Sael," IO said.

Sael whirled around. "This is my nightmare," she said. "Like Zelda said. You're dead."

IO laughed. "Really? How do you know?"

"ROB said Jessica killed you."

IO laughed again, the sound loud and cruel. "I've always known this program best. I just slipped out of it, back into my body. This is no dream. That little girl is going to die, and so is Elyan. They're both disposable. The others will be put under the same spell you and Elyan were, so everything will return to normal. And the worst thing? You'll be back in your old position. Taking my orders, organizing the stadium. There's no escape, CF."

_CF - Controller, Female._

"My _NAME_ is _SAEL_!" Sael shouted, attacking IO again. She pulled one hockey stick from where is was strapped to her back, and attacked.

—

Link would never be able to stand up to that magic. Zelda knew it. Her own magic, as well as the Triforce of Wisdom embedded in her hand, had been like poison to the Darkness. But the Triforce of Courage didn't have the same power. It made one strong in the body and in the heart. Link's magic was that of the trees, of the woods, the earth, the magic the Great Tree had given him. Hers was light, while his was elemental: hovering on the line, as easily light as dark. The Darkness would turn his own magic against him. But Link would not give in. Ever. That was the way he was. So his heart and mind would die, leaving only his body, inhabited by darkness.

Zelda summoned her own magic making a shield around Link. He opened his eyes.

"Not again," he groaned. Then he got to his feet, pulled out his sword. "Same battle plan as last time, Zel?"

Zelda smiled. Of course. She and Link had once fought a Dark Link and a Dark Zelda together. She had forgotten. They had won by joining their hearts and magic. They had mixed Zelda's light and Link's earth to create the magic of life. That was when they had first developed their bond. That was when they had fallen in love.

"Yes," she said. "Same as last time."

—

Samus ran to where she knew he'd be. He was always there, in the nightmares. He was thrown over the edge, time after time.

And there he was. But there were two this time, both on the edge of death. Him... and Ike.

She only had time for one sword stroke. She could only save one.

"Sorry," she said flatly to the young man who had been the love of her life. "I can't have you back. You're dead." A coldness entered her as she said that, but she turned all the same. She thrust the sword into the pirate holding Ike's left arm.

Ike punched the other pirate, sending it flying. "You saved me," he said.

"The love I once had is dead," she said. "This is how he died. Even if I saved him now, he'd still be dead. You, however, might have died for real."

Ike smiled. "Thank you," he said. Then he paused. "Can I have my sword back?"

Samus knew it was funny, but she didn't laugh. No time for that now. "You always seem to be losing the thing." She handed it to him, and pulled out her whip.

The two stood back to back and started to fight.

—

"Sis?" came a mumbled voice.

"Popo!" Nana said, without stopping her attacks. "You're okay!"

"Yeah," said Popo. "I hurt all over, but I'm alive." He jumped up and started to attack the Master Hand with her. "But I wouldn't be if you hadn't protected me."

Nana smiled at her brother. "C'mon. Let's see what we can do before the others get back." She grabbed the rope again and climbed up it, towards the Hand.

The rope was jerked upwards, and Nana flew high into the air. A second later she was in the Master Hand's fist, feeling his fingers squeeze her. She screamed.

—

Nana screamed and screamed. Popo felt her screams tearing at his heart. His sister. His little sis. He had promised to protect her.

A moment later, the Master Hand had thrown her, and she was flying across the stage. Popo ran after her. He caught a handful of the fir on her parka.

She dangled just over the edge, Popo gripping her parka as hard as he could. But Nana started to slide out of it.

"No!" Popo screamed, reaching for her hand.

Someone leaned over Popo, and hands caught Nana's shirt.

"Alright," Samus said. "Let go. I've got her."

Popo obeyed, and Nana's pink parka fell into nothingness. Samus held onto Nana, and pulled her up onto solid ground.

—

"It's okay," Samus said. "It's okay, Nana. I've got you."

"Samus!" Nana said, smiling through her tears. "Thank you..."

"Nana!" Popo said, hugging his sister.

"You two are injured," Samus said. "Let Ike and I handle this. You two just keep out of the way."

"No," said Nana quietly. "He hurt my friends. He hurt my brother. I want to fight."

"Well, you have as much right as anyone," Samus said. "But be careful. I might not be so lucky next time."

"'kay," Nana said. She turned to her brother. "Wanna fight him with me?"

"You bet," Popo said. "Let's go."

Busy fighting the Master Hand, none heard the sound of marching feet.

—

Sael attacked IO, over and over again. She had to kill IO in time to stop those Frames. They'd kill Nana and Elyan! IO fought back, but when she struck Sael, Sael didn't feel it. She was too angry. There was too much at stake.

Suddenly, Elyan's voice called out. **"Voice recognition initiate,"** he said. His voice was oddly flat.

Both Sael and IO looked over. But Elyan wasn't there.

ROB rolled into the room. **"Wire Frames Self-destruct." **Sael's heart soared. The recognition program still responded to Elyan's voice! And _ROB_ had Elyan's voice!

"Self-Destruct initiated," IO's voice, equally flat, issued from the computer. "Wire Frames will disengage in three... two... one... disengaged."

"No!" screamed IO. "Override! Code 0, 3, 5," IO could not finish giving the code, as ROB had just shot her.

"C'mon, ROB," Sael said. "Let's finish her."

**"Affirmative," **ROB said in Elyan's voice.

Together, they attacked.

—

One by one, more members of their team emerged from darkness and helped to fight. Marth. Roy, accompanied by a little girl in white. Fox. Link and Zelda. Mewtwo and Jigglypuff.

—

Elyan saw himself, in the corner of that cave once more, controlling the little girl.

He ran forward and attacked himself. He knocked his other self out, and turned to the people standing there. "I'm sorry for what I did then. I was foolish and knew only how to destroy."

Suddenly, they began to seem more real, less dreamlike.

The girl made some hand signs. They meant, _It's okay._

The boy made some signs of his own. _You have a battle to fight, don't you?_

"Yes," Elyan said. "one that concerns the whole world."

_We can help,_ signed the little girl.

_I can help,_ the blue creature corrected, mindspeaking. He summoned blue psychic magic that surrounded Elyan and the creature himself.

_No!_ the little girl signed. Takimi, was that her name? She ran over and held onto the blue creature's arm, pulling herself into the spell. The boy did the same.

They appeared back in the Final destination. The blue creature immediately joined the fight, and the little boy pulled out a slingshot.

Elyan moved to join the fight, when he realized he was still weaponless. _I can be your weapon,_ Takimi signed to him. She held the box he had once used to control her by force out to him. _I can't fight on my own. But you know how I can fight._

"No," said Elyan. "I can't do it again."

_But this time I am asking you to. Let me help! I want to protect Jin and I want to help Lucario and Mewtwo. Please!_ Her eyes begged him.

Elyan looked down. "You'll be hurt."

_Then protect me,_ she signed. _I will be hurt more on my own. I am clumsy._

"One second," he said. He took the machine off of her back. He changed some of the wiring, and ripped off the bits that clamped onto the arms and legs. Then he showed it to her.

"This will allow us to link minds," he said. "I can tell you what to do, but you can disobey any time. I... hope this works."

Takimi nodded. She put the machine on her back, and stood in a ready position. She still had the blades on her hands and one foot.

Elyan attached the headset of the controls to his head. _Takimi, can you hear me?_

_I can hear you._

_Good. I promise I'll keep you safe. It's the least I can do after what I did to you then._

_Elyan... that is your name?_

_Yes._

_I think I am dreaming. But at the same time, I am awake. I am ready to help._

_Alright._ Elyan closed his eyes. He began to see what Takimi saw.

_Okay,_ thought Takimi.

Elyan felt her run in to the battle.

—

They had almost done it. The Master Hand was being defeated! He was being beaten back!

Zelda stiffened beside Link. "Link... The Crazy Hand is coming."

The Crazy Hand descended to about the level of the Master Hand.

Everyone stopped.

The hands were talking in rapid-fire sign language to each other.

"Oh no..." Marth whispered. "The two of them together will be impossible to defeat."

"Hey!" Roy shouted out. "Crazy Hand!"

The crazy Hand turned towards him.

"Is it true you're the best mage in the world?

—

Takimi could understand the sign language the Hands were using, so Elyan was privy to their conversation.

_The Crazy Hand says 'I am best mage in universe'._

Elyan said that out loud. "He says he is the best in the universe."

Roy shouted, "Master Hand!"

The Master Hand turned towards him.

"Is it true you're the best fighter in the universe?"

_Master Hand says yes,_ Takimi thought.

"He says he is," Elyan said.

"Who would win in a fight? The best Mage, or the best fighter?"

_Crazy Hand says best mage, and Master Hand says best fighter,_ Takimi thought.

"They both say they would win," Elyan said aloud.

—

Roy grinned. "I bet the Master Hand would win," he said. "I bet the best fighter could beat the best mage any day."

Elyan, glassy-eyed, said "Crazy Hand says that he would win."

"Well, let's see then!" Roy shouted. "Show us! Bet you can't!"

Marth caught on to what he was doing. "Yeah!" he shouted. "The Master Hand could beat the Crazy Hand anytime!"

"Yeah!" cried the little girl Roy had brought.

The Crazy Hand's glove turned red. He launched himself at the Master Hand.

Our heroes, minus one absent Captain Falcon, sat back to enjoy the fireworks.

The Master Hand and the Crazy hand fought furiously.

"Okay," whispered Roy to those near him. "When I shout 'go', attack them. Tell it to the others."

The message travelled through the group, as they watched the Master Hand and the Crazy Hand beat up on each other.

Just as the Crazy Hand was about to deal a knockout blow on the already tired Master Hand, Roy shouted, "GO!"

The entire group, minus one still-absent Captain Falcon, attacked.

All except Fox. _He_ knew where Captain Falcon was. He closed his eyes and reached into the world of dreams...

—

Captain Falcon waved to the people all around him. He smiled, holding the first-prize trophy in his hands. He had won! He had beaten Fox, and all the rest, too!

Suddenly, Fox seemed slightly more real than he had before. "Idiot! Get back here!" he said. "We're killing the Hands, and here you are at an imaginary victory party?" He grabbed Captain Falcon's arm and yanked him back into reality.

—

He had missed it. The battle they had all been working towards for all this time, and he had _missed_ it. The Hands were dead. Both of them. He had _missed_ it. He smiled. _Imaginary or not, though, that was one hell of a victory party._

Suddenly, the Crazy Hand started to spark.

—

"The Crazy Hand's magic is escaping!" Roy heard Zelda say. "It's disappearing!"

Magic seeped out of Sael and Elyan as well, joining the escaping tide of magic.

Roy ran over to them.

"We were called here by the Crazy Hand," Elyan said quietly. "Now we're not held here anymore."

"Jessica said... we're from another place..." Sael said. "I guess we're being sent back now. I feel like I'm being pulled..." She looked down at herself as she began to fade. "Oh. That's why."

"Sael..." Roy looked down. "I'm sorry... if I'd known..."

"You wouldn't have done anything different," Sael said. "Neither would I. It's not like we're dying. We're just going back to where we came from." She smiled. "Thanks for being my friend, Roy."

Roy smiled sadly. "Thanks, Sael. I'm glad I met you." He turned to Elyan. "You too. Good luck."

Sael hugged him. All he felt was a faint heat. "Don't forget us, okay?" Sael asked. She looked to Marth, who had walked over. "Neither of you."

"We won't," Marth promised.

Sael walked to Elyan. "Hold on to me," she said. "Maybe if we don't let go, we'll get home together."

They hugged as tightly as they could.

Sael turned to the others, as she and Elyan disappeared. "Bye!" she called. "See you! Thanks!" She smiled. So did he.

They continued to fade, until their smiles were all that was left. Then they were gone too.

A sense of joy filled the air, until no one could help smiling.

"It's strange," Roy said. "I should be sad. They were our friends, and now we'll never see them again."

"No you shouldn't," said Marth. "They're going home. They're happy. They're together. What's there to be sad about?"

Roy looked over, and Marth was smiling. Roy let the smile that had been twitching at his lips take over his face.

* * *

And that brings an end to the Final Battle of Final Battleness. Three chapters left - I hope you enjoy them.

-waves goodbye to Sael and Elyan-


	50. Reasons

Okay, I noticed this chapter was messed up, so I decided to fix it now.

There's no song for this, but I like this chapter a lot.

* * *

Roy's good mood disappeared shortly. Everyone was worn out and unhappy. Marth led the way, but he looked at his feet. When Roy looked around, he could see the same mixture of confusion, sadness, and a strange, lonely loss, that he could tell his best friend felt. That he was beginning to feel himself. The questions beat inside all of their heads.

"Marth," he said. "Let's go back to the Mansion. There's enough room for us there."

Marth nodded. "Yeah..." He looked down again, voiced the question they were all feeling. "Roy? What next?"

"I... I don't know," Roy said.

——

She had chosen. She had let go of him... to save someone who had quickly become her dearest friend. She should feel free now, right? She should stop being haunted by him. Why wasn't she? Why was her heart feeling like ice? She had been unable to summon even the slightest emotion for him. She felt cold, empty.

"Samus?" Ike asked, walking beside her. "Are you alright?"

"... yes."

Ike walked in front of her and stared her in the face. "Liar," he said. "Now tell me the truth."

Maybe that would make her feel better? What did she have to lose, after all?

"It's him," Samus said. "Remember? The man who was thrown overboard?"

"Yes," Ike said. "I remember."

"Did you hear what I said to him?"

"Yes. You sounded... very cold, since you say now that you loved him."

Samus felt her shoulders shake. She clenched her muscles to try and stop them, but she failed. "That's the problem. I... didn't feel anything. I had loved him so much... missed him for so long... and then, when I let him go, I didn't feel a thing. And nothing's changed. I thought I'd be free of him. I'm not."

"You've worn yourself out," Ike said softly. "You've cared so hard for so long. He's gone. He loved you, didn't he?"

Samus nodded wordlessly.

"Well, do you think he'd want you to be in pain forever?" Ike asked. "No. That would hurt him more than anything. You're tearing yourself apart. You're pushing him away, trying to let go, but at the same time, holding on. You're hurting yourself. And now, you're feeling twice as bad, for not being able to change it."

Tears began to blur Samus' sight.

Ike continued. "Samus, you just have to let go of him. Or you'll tear your heart in half."

_She stood on the ship once again. A battle raged all around them, but where they stood, it was clear. She faced him._

_"I'm sorry," she said. "I can't change it. I can't."_

_He smiled. "Don't. Don't change it. I love you, and I won't let you do that to yourself. Live, Samus. There will be time for reminiscing when you're old and grey. You're not yet. Go. Good luck."_

_She couldn't help it. She began to cry. "I'll miss you."_

_"I miss you too. Be happy." He put his arms around her, and she cried on his shoulder. Then, she felt him fading, disappearing... gone._

"Samus?" Ike asked softly. "Are you alright?"

"No," she said. "I'm not." She looked around. "C'mon, Ike. We're being left behind."

"Yeah," Ike said. "Samus? If you ever need to talk..."

"Thanks," she said. "I might take you up on that later." She wiped the tears from her eyes. "But for now, we have to go."

Zelda shivered. "It's gotten cold, fast," she said. Then she lifted her head. "Link."

"What's wrong?" Link asked, putting warm arms around her.

"The magic that escaped from the crazy Hand. Look up."

The cloud that had been in the distance for quite a while was growing at an insane rate. It soon covered the entire sky.

"The magic's gone crazy!" Zelda screamed.

The first cold flakes began to drift down.

"It's cold," Nana said, shivering. "I wish I had my parka."

"It's snowing," Popo said.

Ike looked up. "It's going to be a blizzard. It's going to start fast, and last a long time." He turned to Samus. "We have to get up to the front of the group. We have to find a place to take shelter."

The snow began to fall in buckets, just as Ike had said.

Nana was freezing, shivering uncontrollably. She felt tears start to roll down her face, freezing on her cheeks. "I'm... so... cold..." she whispered.

"C'mon, sis," Popo said, taking her hand. "Just a bit further. Here." He opened his parka, and pulled her close inside his coat. "We have to get somewhere to shelter."

"Okay," said Nana. "Don't leave me, Popo."

"I won't," Popo said, pulling her forward, step by step.

At the front of the group, Marth was thinking along simalar lines as Ike had.

"We've got to find some shelter," he said, "Or we're all going to freeze."

Roy's head snapped up. "Sael and Elyan's hideout!" he said. "They have a cave. There's food and water in it. We can shelter there."

"Can you find it?" Marth asked, his teeth beginning to chatter. "In this snow?" The snow was blowing fast now, and any exposed skin almost instantly turned red. It was impossible to see more than ten feet ahead.

"I can try," Roy said grimly. "I have to, don't I?"

Marth turned. "Everyone follow us!" he bellowed. "We know a place where we can take shelter!"

The group turned towards them, and began to trudge onwards.

"Join hands!" Roy cried. "We have to stay together!" He grabbed a hold of Marth's hand, taking the lead.

One by one, each person joined the line. Roy began to walk forward, and they followed.

"Don't let go!" Marth shouted. "It's all to easy to get lost in this snow!"

Roy looked at the ground. "It's this way!" he shouted, pulling them on.

It was just too cold. Even inside Popo's coat, Nana was still turning red, staggering.

"Don't... leave..." Nana said.

"I'm not going anywhere," Popo said. "Let me hold you up."

Nana put her arms around him, and Popo began to trudge forward, supporting his little sister's weight. The snow was getting higher. He could barely see the end of the line, ahead of them.

"HEY!" he shouted. "BACK HERE! HELP!"

His words were snatched away by the wind before anyone could hear them.

Nana swayed. "I can't... Popo... don't... leave..." her arms went slack, and she fell face-first in the snow.

"NANA!" Popo shouted. "SIS! No. You are not leaving me now." He bent down, grabbed on to her, and picked her up. He staggered under her weight. "Just a little bit further..." He held his sister close. She was freezing.

"You're my sister, and anything that's gonna hurt you, even this snowstorm, is gonna have to go through me to do it!" Popo said into Nana's chilly ears, as he trudged onward. "You're my little sis. It'll all be okay. I promised, remember?"

He screamed again. "HELP! BACK HERE!"

He pulled off his parka and wrapped it around Nana as well as himself. Picking her up again, he kept walking. Every limb felt like ice, and his blood felt like it was freezing in his veins. But he continued to walk. He had promised their parents he'd look after Nana, and he'd do it.

"I love you, sis," he said, trudging another step.

One more step. One more step. Just one more. One more step. Just one more. He could take one more, for his sister. One more step. One more step. Just one more. For Nana. He could do it. One more. He had to keep her warm. One more. He promised. One more step. His little sis. One more step. She had protected him. Just one more. Tears were freezing on his face. One more step. Nana. One more. He'd save her. One more step.

He felt the presence of another mind touching his. Zelda? He continued to trudge.

"They're over here!" someone cried.

Someone picked him up and wrapped him in a cloak. Nana was taken from him.

"It's okay," Zelda said.

"I've got you." That was Link. He was holding Popo.

"We'll be alright." That was Samus. "It's okay, I've got Nana."

Zelda closed her eyes for a moment. "Come on," she said. "They're this way."

"Nana..." Popo said.

"Here," said Link. "Give her to me. They can keep each other warm."

Suddenly, Nana was beside him, and another cloak wrapped around the two of them. Popo put his arms around Nana, pulling her cold little body close. He could feel a heartbeat. She was alive! And breathing!

"It's okay, Nana," he whispered, wrapping the cloak that was around him around her as well. "I promised, remember?"

"Here it is!" Roy shouted. Ness, who was riding on his shoulders, relayed the message by mindlink to the rest of the group.

Roy reached down and tried to pull the rock aside. His fingers scrabbled over the icy surface.

Marth grabbed the other side, pushing as hard as he could. Roy pulled, and it slid aside.

"Everyone in!" Roy shouted, pulling Ness off of his shoulders and dropping him into the cave.

One by one, each person in the group climbed down into the little cave. It was cold in there, but it was dry and safe from the snow.

At last, everyone else was in. Roy climbed in, and Marth followed.

The little cave was packed. That was a plus. It'd keep them warm.

"We've got to close it," said Roy. Marth nodded, and the two reached up and pulled the rock over the entrance again.

It was pitch black. Then, a little light shone from one side of the room.

It was Popo, sitting beside his sister, holding up a little light between two fingers. Nana was bundled onto one of the two pallets. Samus knelt on the cold floor beside her, Ike, capeless, sat behind Samus.

Though it was warmer than the outside, the cave was still cold. Popo sat beside his sister, holding up the light that Elyan had given her. Nana's skin was still red, and she shivered.

Samus put a wrist to Nana's forehead. "She's burning up," she said.

"She's sick?" Ike asked.

"That's right," said Samus. "She needs more warmth. A fire."

"I'll get her one." Ike's voice was certain.

"Sis is sick?" Popo said.

Samus' voice was soothing. "Don't worry. She'll be okay. She just needs warmth."

Popo moved beside his sister, pulling her into a hug, sharing his own warmth with her.

Ike got to his feet. "I'm going to go get wood."

"You'll freeze," said Samus.

Ike smiled. "No, I won't." he looked at Popo. "You're very brave."

"I promised my sis I'd take care of her," Popo said.

Ike smiled. "Good. And I promised Samus I'd help her sort everything out, and I intend to be alive to keep that promise." He walked across the cave to talk to Marth.

Popo looked to Samus. "Ike'll be okay, right?"

Samus smiled. "He'll be fine."

"Nana needs more warmth," Ike said. "I'm going out to try to find wood for a fire."

"That's ridiculous," Marth said. "You'd freeze."

"Nana has to have that fire," Ike said. "She's sick."

"And she will," said Roy.

Ike and Marth looked over, confused.

Roy closed his eyes, imagined himself disappearing, becoming a halo of flame and light. He heard Marth and Ike gasp, and he felt the cold melt away.

Then he could see again. Ike and Samus were looking at him, astonished. Roy knew why. He had disappeared, turned into a burst of flame.

"What is that?" Ike asked.

_"I'm a Willow-the-wisp,"_ Roy said. _"A fire spirit. I learned to do that when I went to Rachel's Island."_

"Can you make heat for Nana?" Ike asked.

_"Yes,"_ said Roy. He floated over to the little girl, where she lay wrapped up on one of the pallets. He thought of the heat he felt inside, and sent it out. It radiated through the cramped cavern, warming everyone there. He could feel the heat chasing the cold from their bodies. Had he still had a mouth, he would have been smiling.

_"But I can't keep this up forever,"_ said Roy.

"Just do what you can," said Marth. Then he smiled. "That trick has just saved our lives."

"When you get tired," said Zelda, "I can try to control Din's fire, to give us a flame."

_"Thanks."_

"We need water," Samus said.

Marth looked around. He saw a bowl lying on the ground. It must have been what Sael and Elyan ate their nutrient mix in. He pushed aside the rock for a second, and filled the bowl with snow. When he pulled it back in, it immediately began to melt.

"Here," he said, holding it out to Samus. Samus tore off a piece of her sleeve, and wet it in the water. She laid it on Nana's forehead.

------

Samus thought it was probably night-time. The cave was dark, save for Nana's softly glowing star. Everyone was asleep, except Samus. They lay against the wall, or curled up on the floor, packed together, warm, for now.

Samus wasn't warm. She was hovering just on the edge of cold, that really uncomfortable spot where a tiny draft can make you freeze. She put the rag from her sleeve back in the bowl, and gently bathed Nana's forehead.

Ike sat down beside her. "How's Nana?"

"She's not shivering anymore," Samus said. "But her fever's still high."

Ike nodded. "She needs medicine."

"But we can't get any," Samus said. "It's still snowing."

Ike nodded again. "I know. But we're doing the best we can. Does she need more heat?"

"No, she's alright for now," Samus said.

"How about you?" Ike's voice was gentle. His hand touched her wrist. "You're cold."

"I'll survive," Samus said.

"Here," Ike said. "At least take this." He picked up the sheet off of the other pallet, wrapped it around her shoulders.

Samus looked down at Popo, who was lying beside Nana, his arms around her. "He really loves his sister."

"He's a strong kid," Ike said. "He carried her through snow that was knee-height for him."

"They're both strong," Samus said. She looked down.

"Don't worry," Ike soothed. "She'll be fine. We all will."

"You're not afraid?" Samus asked.

"Afraid? Of course I am," Ike said. "But I'll make it." He reached out, wrapped his arms around her.

Samus tensed for a moment. She looked down at his arms around her. "Why?" she asked.

Ike's voice sounded behind her, and she felt him shrug. "It's cold."

Samus couldn't help it. She laughed. He laughed too, and she allowed herself to relax.

"It'll all be fine," Ike said. "I promise."

Samus closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the sudden warmth and comfort.

------

_Nana's head felt heavy, and she was too warm. Her throat was dry and her lips were cracked. There was a cool cloth on her head, and somebody was hugging her._

_She opened her eyes. Ike was sitting next to her, and Popo was asleep, hugging her._

_"How are you feeling?" Ike asked._

_"Mmmm..." said Nana, forcing her weak lips to form words. "'m too hot."_

_"You have a fever," Ike said._

_"'m thirsty," Nana said._

_Ike took the cool rag off of her head, and dipped it in the water again. "Open your mouth," he said. When Nana obeyed, he squeezed clean, cool water into her mouth. She swallowed. "Do you want some more?" he asked._

_Nana nodded. Her throat hurt. Ike squeezed water into her mouth again and again, until she felt the dryness and ache fade a bit._

_"Are you hungry?" Ike asked._

_Nana nodded again. A moment later, Ike put a small amount of food like Elyan and Sael had brought into her mouth. She chewed it and swallowed._

_Popo opened his eyes. "Mmm... Nana?" He smiled. "You're awake!"_

_"Popo saved your life," Ike said. "He wrapped you in his parka and carried you until we found you."_

_Nana smiled sleepily at her brother. "Thanks, Popo."_

_"I promised, right?" Popo said. "I told you I wouldn't leave you."_

_Nana's eyelids felt heavy. She closed her eyes again._

_Popo settled closer to Nana as she drifted back into a half-sleep._

------

When Samus opened her eyes, she was lying on the other pallet. The sheet was still wrapped around her. More people were awake now. Some still slept, but most were just trying to keep warm. Ike sat beside Nana.

"I fell asleep..." Samus said.

Ike looked up. He met her eyes with a little smile. "You're okay," he said. "Thank the goddess. You slept all day yesterday. I thought you were sick."

"How is Nana?" Samus asked, worriedly.

"It's alright," Ike said. "She's doing well. She woke up for a while yesterday, while you were asleep." He smiled again. "You feeling better?"

"Much," Samus said.

The Willow-the-wisp hanging in the air in the centre of the cavern flickered out, and Roy fell to the ground.

"I'm exhausted," Roy said. "I'm sorry, but I need a break."

Samus got to her feet and shrugged off the sheet. "You can sleep here," she said.

Roy lay down on the pallet, pulled the sheet around him, and was asleep almost immediately.

"His magic is very weak," said Zelda. "He's worn himself out completely. He shouldn't cast another spell for a long time, or he'll put his health in danger." She pulled out a small red stone, and whispered a spell. A flame lit in her hands. "My own magic won't last long before I'm in about the same shape."

Link moved to her side, bolstering her magic with his own. "I'm almost empty myself," he said.

"We need wood," Ike said. "There are trees just down the mountain. Let me cut one down. I'll bring back wood, and we can let the magic-users rest."

Marth nodded. "Desperate times. But you might run into trouble. I'll come with you."

"Wait!" Samus said. She came up with a cape and a blanket in her hands. "Take these."

They wrapped up as much as they could.

"Thanks," Ike said.

"Just come back alive." Samus' face was serious.

Ike and Marth walked out into the storm.

The wind tore at their makeshift capes, and they were chest-deep in snow. More was falling.

"It's down this way!" Ike shouted.

"Right!" The two set off.

They fought the storm, trudging through the snow. Ike clutched the blanket to himself, shivering. "Let's do this fast!" he shouted. Then, dropping to a whisper, "Or we won't do it at all."

The snow blew right through them, piercing clothes and skin. But Ike and Marth held firm. Each had their own reasons to keep upright, some as old as time, others that they were just discovering. Reasons to live.

"It's over here!" Ike shouted. He pulled out his sword and hacked at the frozen tree. He felt Marth do the same.

"Watch out!" Marth shouted. Ike jerked reflexively, and felt the trunk of the tree, blown by the wind, crash into his skull. Everything went black.

-------

Marth tried to get to his feet, out of the snow. But he couldn't move. The tree was lying across his back, pinning him face-first into the snow.

Marth struggled against the relentless pressure of gravity, but it was fruitless. His muscles were frozen, and the tree was large and covered with ice.

He felt the cold start to seep inward as the snow covered his face.

_This is it,_ Marth thought, _isn't it? I'm going to freeze, here, under a tree in the snow, with the task I had worked so hard to accomplish just finished._ He thought a moment more._ The others are going to die without this wood! Roy, Link, Zelda. Samus, Ike. Nana and Popo. My friends. The people who let me lead them._

Marth felt resolve strengthen. _I can't let them down._ He pushed against the tree again. He felt it begin to shift, just slightly. He pushed again, ignoring the searing pain in one leg and the numbness in the other. A burst of dizziness set his head spinning.

Marth heard a scream. _Who is that?_ He wondered sluggishly. As his world started to fade, Marth looked up at the sky. Had it stopped snowing?

——

* * *

:D I'd love a review. -hopeful puppy face-


	51. Safety

Second Last! I'm actually going to do it, folks! :D

* * *

_"I got him!" Someone pulled Marth to his feet. Warm arms encircled his waist, holding him up._

_"He's cold as ice," a female voice said, "but he's alive."_

_"There's someone else! C'mon, help me dig him out."_

_"Got him! But the blasted tree is in the way. Gotta move it.""Here. Now push!"_

_"Hurry! They'll both freeze if we don't get inside soon!"_

_"We're going! Come on. Let's head back."_

_He felt himself being pulled. He stumbled._

_"Hey! I think he hurt his leg! Come on, help me carry him!"_

_A hand pulled his arm across a pair of slim shoulders, clad in fur. "I've got him. C'mon. We have to get back."..._

_He was lying, surrounded by warmth. Soft blankets covered him._

_"Drink this, Marth," a soft voice said, wrapping his hands around a warm cup. Female hands with long fingers covered his and guided the cup to his mouth._

_Something warm and bitter slipped down his throat, warming his chest. Warmth spread through his arms and down his right leg. Why couldn't he feel his left?_

_The pillow he leaned on was lowered, and he slipped into sleep._

_He turned in scalding heat. The next minute, the heat disappeared, and he shivered. Someone laid a hand on his forehead. He heard a shout, then another cup of bitter, herbal-tasting drink was held to his mouth. He drank, and the temperature returned to something more comfortable. He relaxed once more._

_—_

The piano was playing softly when Marth regained consciousness. His left leg ached, but his head felt much clearer. He decided to open his eyes.

The room was dim, but the light of a candle flickered against the walls. The piano continued to play that naggingly familiar song. Someone softly hummed a melody.

Marth sat up slowly, feeling his cramped muscles complain. He propped himself up on his left arm. His other arm felt weak, and he was sure that it would hurt if he leaned on it.

The person playing the piano was female. She was wearing a long purple dress, gauzy lilac sleeves trailing down from her shoulders. Brown hair was braided, hanging down her back.

__

A priestess...

Marth thought. _Of... Melodia. I must be at the Sanctuary._

The song ended, and the woman turned around. A delighted smile crossed her face when she saw him.

"You're awake!" she exclaimed. "How are you feeling?"

"A... lot better than I thought I would," Marth said. "I thought... I thought that I was going to die. Was it you who found me?" He looked at her. Her face was familiar. "You're... Lady Bethany, right?"

She smiled, clapped her hands. "That's me," she said. "But, please - just Bethany."

Marth nodded. Then he asked again. "Was it you who found me?"

Bethany got to her feet, walked over to sit on the edge of his bed. "For that you have Mimi to thank. If she hadn't Seen that you all were trapped by the snowstorm, you'd still be there. And if you hadn't moved that tree just as we were passing, we wouldn't have known you were there." She smiled gently. "You're very strong. You were already mostly frozen when we found you." She leaned over, picked up a pillow from the floor. "Here," she said, putting it on top of the one he already had. "Lean back. Your muscles are still recovering."

Marth leaned back. He asked, "Thank you... Bethany. Please... Is Nana alright?"

"The little girl?" Bethany asked. She smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. Nana's just fine. She's a tough little girl. Once we gave her the right medicine, she was up and about within a day or two. You and Ike got the worst of it. Everyone else is doing well."

"Ike. How is he?" Marth asked.

Bethany's face fell. "He's not doing so well. His fever hasn't broken yet." She smiled again. "But we've got our Chief Healer with him, and Healer Scalla's never lost a patient."

"Healer Scalla?"

"Yeah," Bethany said. "She's the most talented Healer here. She made Nana's medicine, and yours, too. You're lucky she was there. You almost died. She's going to come and look in on you later today, to see how your leg is doing. Your left leg got the worst of it... it's bruised and it was frozen, and you almost tore a muscle. It'll be a few days before you can walk."

Marth nodded. "How's Roy?"

"Roy? He's okay," Bethany said. "He'd used up every scrap of magic he has trying to keep them all warm, so he gets a lot of headaches and tires more easily. But he'll be fine. Healer Scalla got so annoyed at him that she dumped a potion over his head yesterday."

Marth smiled. Just like Roy. "Good," he said. "Is he around?"

Bethany nodded. "It's the middle of the day. He told me to tell him the moment you woke up. He should be eating lunch about now. Want me to go get him?"

"Please," Marth said.

Bethany smiled. "I'm on it. D'you want something to eat, while I'm there? Are you hungry?"

Marth's stomach growled loudly. Bethany laughed. "I'd say that answers my question. I'll be back in just a minute with Roy and lunch. You stay right there." She disappeared out of the door.

Marth looked around. He was in someone's bedroom. There were curtains pulled down - there must be windows. It was small, with just enough room for the bed, a small bedside table, really just a tray on legs, the piano bench, and the piano itself. It was a dark wood, but it was slightly different than pianos he knew. And, where the craftsman's signature was supposed to go, there was the sign that had been on Young Link's pitch-pipe. The sign of Melodia? There was one lit candle sitting on the bedside table, just within arm's reach. The blanket that lay on top of him was dyed red. It was softer than wool, but not smooth as silk. There was a folded pair of breeches and a shirt under the bedside table, and his own clothes, also neatly folded, sitting on one end of the piano bench. Wait, if those were his clothes, what was he wearing?

He looked down at himself to see a white, short sleeved shirt, the kind the Bards wore under their tunics. He pulled the covers back further to see the dark-blue breeches, also of the bard's uniform.

The door was flung open, and Roy peered in. He grinned when he saw Marth, and walked inside. "Marth," he said, sitting down on the clear end of the piano bench, "You are an idiot."

"I know," Marth agreed. "Hey, Roy. It's good to see you, too."

Bethany walked into the room, carrying a tray. On it was a bowl of soup, a piece of bread, a cup of water, and another cup containing an unidentifiable green liquid. "Here's lunch," she said. "I know you're hungry, but Healer Scalla said to keep your first meal light, because it might not sit too well, if you know what I mean. Also, drink this afterwards. It'll speed up the healing. She says to lie or sit calmly, and I'm to tell Roy that if he does anything that excites you, Healer Scalla says he'll regret it." She set the tray on his lap. "I'll be back," she said. "I'm going for a walk."

"Thank you," Marth said, as she left.

Roy looked at the green liquid. "Ugh," he said. "Another of Scalla's concoctions."

"I heard you had a bit of a run-in with her," Marth said, smiling.

"The old lady got so annoyed when I wouldn't take her magic transfusion that she poured one of her herb juices all over me. I don't want to take magic from Zelda or any of the girls here who have it. I'll get my own magic back on my own. The stuff she gives me to speed it up is awful. Smells like old cheese on a bad day, tastes worse. You know her potion has mirich in it?"

"Wait," Marth said. "Isn't that supposed to be lethal?"

"'only in large doses', they said."

Marth laughed. He could just imagine Roy's reaction to that.

Roy, looking slightly vengeful, said, "And who knows what they're putting in yours? Could be even worse." He looked down at Marth's tray. "You should eat. You've been out for three days."

Marth nodded, and picked up his spoon. As he ate, Roy continued to talk, filling him in on the others in the group. Marth half-listened, until something caught his attention.

"... and Zelda and Peach and Melanie are fussing about planning. They keep trying to involve Samus, but she always just stands in the corner and plays her violin. She won't tell anyone what's bugging her. And Nana's ecstatic, because Zelda's letting her be flower girl..."

"Wait, what?" Marth sat straight up.

"Oh yeah, you were out when they decided, weren't you? Link and Zelda are getting married this summer. The moment they decided, Peach came along and swept Zelda away to plan. The whole Sanctuary is in an uproar about it."

Marth smiled. "A wedding. That'll cheer everyone up to no end."

"You bet," Roy said, smiling. "Link's probably the happiest person in the world. But he's going a little stir crazy, because Peach won't let Zelda tell him anything. Even now, she's being fitted for her wedding dress, and Link's sitting on the stairs, playing the ocarina. Want me to get him?"

"Sure," Marth said.

Roy darted out the door. A minute later, he was back, with Link in tow.

Link really did look like the happiest person in the world. His grin stretched across his face, and he had a spring in his step. Marth couldn't help but smile.

"Hi, Link," Marth said.

"Hi, Marth," Link said. "Are you feeling alright?"

Marth nodded. "I'm getting better."

"Good," said Link.

"I heard the news from Roy," said Marth. "Congratulations."

Link grinned again. "I'm getting married!"

"What's the day again?" Roy asked.

"July the sixteenth," Link said.

"Well," Marth joked, "Hopefully, I'll be out of bed by then."

Roy grinned. Link's expression didn't change. He had already been grinning.

Another priestess rushed in. "Link," she said. "Come with me a minute." She grabbed his arm and started to pull.

"Is something wrong?" Link's face became serious.

"Zelda just fainted. She's alright now, but I thought you ought to know."

"Where is she?" Link asked.

"The fitting room. It's down the kitchen hallway, third door from the right."

Link dashed out of the room without another word. The priestess stood there for a moment, slightly shocked, then smiled.

"Wow," she said. "Princess Zelda's one lucky lady, to be marrying a guy who cares about her that much." She ran out of the room after him.

"And the fun goes on," Roy said, grinning.

"Is Zelda alright?" Marth asked.

"She's fine," Roy said. "This has already happened twice. The crazy old bat says it's nerves, and running around all over the place when she should be recuperating. In ten minutes, she'll be back to normal." He pointed to the herb drink. "It might taste terrible, but you should drink it."

Marth nodded picked up the cup, and drained it. He grimaced.

Roy grinned. "Terrible, aren't they?"

Marth immediately began to feel tired. He yawned.

"You should get some more sleep," Roy said. "I'll go back to trying to entertain Link so he doesn't go nuts. Get Bethany to tell me when you're awake again, will you?"

Marth nodded. As Roy left the room, Marth leaned back and closed his eyes.

The next day, he was told that Ike was beginning to recover.

"He'll be just fine," Bethany said. "His fever has broken, and he's woken up. He should be up and about around the same time as you." She smiled infuriatingly, and put another herbal drink in his hand. "The more you sleep, the faster you'll be better."

Marth groaned and took it from her. He was tired of sleeping.

Over the next few days, he began to sleep less. When he was awake, Bethany kept him company, bringing Roy whenever she deemed him awake enough, finding him books to read or playing the piano for him when he wasn't. Finally, Bethany told him he was ready to walk.

"Healer Scalla says today you should start walking. Actually, today she said you should have started walking yesterday, but yesterday she said by no account were you to get out of bed." Bethany laughed. "When she gets like that, the only thing I can do is smile and say 'yes, mother'."

"Mother?" Marth asked.

"Yeah," Bethany said. "She's my mother." She shrugged. "C'mon, Marth. Up you get." She pulled his covers back and helped him to his feet. His leg ached, but he could stand.

"Here," said Bethany. "Lean on my shoulder. Take some of the pressure off of your leg."

Marth did so, and the pain receded.

"Where do you want to go?" Bethany asked.

"Can I go to the main hall?"

Bethany nodded. "The instrument hall? Alright. Let's go." She looked down at his bare feet. "But maybe you'd like some socks. The floor, where it's not carpeted, is very cold." She handed him his socks. The hole in the toe of the left sock had been sewn up. Marth put them on.

"Alright, let's go," Bethany said. Marth put his weight on the hand that rested on Bethany's shoulder. He lifted a foot and took a step. Then another. A smile grew on his face. Finally, he was on his feet again. He felt pretty weak, though. He'd have to spar with Roy and Link a few thousand times to get his strength back up, once he recovered the rest of the way.

"Think you can make it?" Bethany asked.

Marth nodded. Bethany grinned, and the two started off.

Leaning on Bethany, Marth walked down a short set of stairs and into a hallway. Priestesses rushing through the hall called out, waving to the two of them. Marth was shocked at how many of them knew his name. A moment later, Peach ran by, carrying a bunch of paper. She looked exited and cheerful. She ran right by before stopping and coming back to Marth.

"Hi Marth," Peach said, smiling. "Feeling better? I'm glad you're on your feet." She greeted Bethany, then ran on.

"It's just through here," Bethany said. She opened a door, and the two went through.

Link was sitting on the steps that led to the door they had just come through. He was playing a song on his Ocarina with his eyes closed, still smiling. Samus was standing in the corner, weaving a sweet, sad melody on her violin.

"Why don't you sit down?" Bethany suggested. "I'll go get Roy and tell him you're on your feet."

"Alright," said Marth. Bethany helped him to the piano bench, where he sat down. He closed his eyes and started to play, feeling all his frustration at being stuck in bed disappear.

He heard Bethany say something, then her footsteps retreated.

—

Beth almost couldn't bear to leave. The song Marth was playing on the piano was amazingly beautiful, filled with joy. As all priestesses did, Beth responded to music, and now her heart was bubbling over. The worry she had felt for him was eased. Marth would be okay.

He was one of the best piano players she had ever heard. The emotion he could create with the keys was something beyond her abilities, and even perhaps those of the man who taught her to play piano.

An image drifted into her head, of the two of them playing a duet together. She laughed a little. _I wish_, she thought.

Then she raced down the hallway to get Roy, hoping he would still be playing when she returned.

—

Samus raised her eyes from the strings of her violin when she heard the door open. Ike walked into the room, looking thinner and a bit worn. A priestess in a healer's robes walked beside him. But he was alive, and he was walking.

Samus put down her violin. Ike looked over, saw her, and smiled. "Hey, Samus," he said.

Samus raced across the room to him. "You're alive," she said.

"That's right," Ike said. "You think a little snow is going to do me in?"

"That was more than a little snow," said Samus. "You almost died!"

"But I didn't die," Ike said, smiling.

Samus hugged him, pulling him close. The listless unhappiness that had affected her was replaced with joy. "I'm glad you're alright."

Ike hugged her back. Warmth spread through her. "I think I'd like to take you up on your offer now," she said. "Can we talk?"

"Sure," Ike said. He turned to the priestess. "I'd like to talk to my friend alone, if that's alright."

The girl nodded and left.

"Come on," said Samus. "We can talk over this way." The two walked into a small room just off the larger one.

Ike sat down on a chair, and Samus sat down beside him.

"So, what is it?" Ike asked.

—

The whole group stayed in Melodia's sanctuary for the winter. The freak storm had started off a winter filled with snow. Bethany showed Marth around, and learned the techniques from her mother about how to bring his leg back up to it's best. Preparations for Link and Zelda's wedding went right on schedule, now including Samus. When she wasn't helping Zelda and Peach, she was spending time with Ike. The two were practically inseparable, come Yule.

The Yule celebration was a thing of beauty. Everywhere you looked, there were decorations, there was delicious food, and someone was singing or playing an instrument. About two weeks beforehand, Bethany shyly asked Marth to play a duet with her for the annual Yuletide performance. Marth accepted, and the two spent hours practising together.

"Beth, you missed the key change on page three," Marth said.

Beth laughed. "Right," she said. "That's why that sounded so bad. Okay. Shall we start from four bars before, then?"

Marth nodded. "I'll count us in," he said. "One, two, three, four."

Marth continued to recover at a surprising pace. He and Ike duelled to keep up their strength, then they became strong enough to duel with the others. He noticed that Bethany seemed to enjoy watching them fight.

Bethany herself seemed to be happy. Marth grew to enjoy her company, and she always seemed to be glad to spend time with him. Sometimes she acted oddly, but all women were strange sometimes.

It seemed like they had been at the sanctuary forever, when it came time to leave. They had packed up the things they had, and were saying goodbye to the friends they had made.

"Beth," said Marth, smiling. "Thank you so much for everything."

Beth blushed. "It's nothing..."

"Is there anything I can do to repay you?" Marth asked.

"There is... one thing..." Beth said quietly, as if she had half-wanted him to miss her words.

"What's that?"

"Hear me out, please," Beth said. "Over the time I've known you, you've become a really amazing friend. And I wanted to say..." her face became red. "Umm... well..." she looked around, desperately trying to find some distraction. She looked like she wished she hadn't said anything at all.

"If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to," said Marth.

She smiled slightly. "Thanks," she said, blushing even more. "Maybe someday I'll be brave enough." She looked at the clock. "Oh! Look at the time. I've got to go. I've got, uh... kitchen duty!" She fled the room.

Marth watched her run, baffled. What had just happened?

He picked up his bag and went to join the others as they left.

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:D ONE MORE! And that's the epilogue. Thanks a lot for reading this, and I hope you REVIEW!


	52. Epilogue Seasons of Love more edits

Hey, there! Sue2, back once again. I decided to do one more edit - I wanted to change one little piece of Samus and Ike's story. Something I'd intended all along but just hadn't written.

Wow, I wasn't the greatest when I wrote this, was I? Ah well, I'm getting better and better, almost by the day.

It's odd - I suppose I'm less idealistic than I was then, but the song that seems right for this now is "Almost Paridise" from footloose. Look it up, it's beautiful.

Also, I frickin' hate this uploading system. Blasted formatting. So, you know what? I'm changing the format of this chapter.

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_**Five hundred, twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes,  
Five hundred, twenty-five thousand, six hundred moments so dear.**_

It was July sixteenth. Roy had thought about this for a long time, and after making a careful record of time, he had realized: They had started their journey on July sixteenth. That was the day that Link had looked at Zelda and decided he wasn't going to hurt her anymore. And now, on July sixteenth, one year later, Link and Zelda were getting married.

_**525,600 minutes - how do you measure... measure a year?**_

They had traveled halfway around the world. They had met a million people. They had helped. It was amazing that it had been a whole year since all of it started.

"It's been a whole year," he said out loud. "It's been a year since we started the rebellion."

Marth looked over at his best friend. The garb of one of Melodia's Bards suited Roy. His flaming red hair showed up well against the light and dark blue. Roy had decided to go back to Melodia's sanctuary and train as a bard, while Marth had decided to stay behind.

_**In daylights? In** **sunsets?**_

Since then, Marth had taken the Smash Stadium and made it new. He had made new rules, new ways of working. It was now a place where anyone in the world could come and test their skills in fair battles, work in an extensive laboratory collected by Samus and ROB, or find peace in a library filled with all the stories that Peach and Mario could find. And more stories filled the library every day, as Popo pulled the right words seemingly out of thin air.

_**In midnights? In cups of coffee?**_

Nana smiled at Popo. Together, they had become strong. They worked together so perfectly, it was as if they were one person. They had developed new strategies and new moves until even the strongest adult warriors found it hard to beat them. But they had their own hobbies and interests. Popo had started to write. His stories were beautifully three-dimensional, with characters that anyone could grow to love. Nana had become Samus' assistant in her research, and along with ROB, the three were hot on the trail of a way to travel anywhere in the wold in an instant without having to rely on the magic of Great Fairy Emmiline.

_**In inches? In miles?**_

ROB was glad that his voice had been fixed. It was good that the mistake had happened, allowing him, who's voice had been stolen, to activate voice-recognition on the main computer and assist Sael in saving Nana from the Wire Frames and destroying the woman who had been the source of his captivity for so long. And now, he had all of her technology at his fingertips. The research he could do! The things he could build! And he could finally make it up to Pikachu, his friend from so long ago. Even now, Pikachu lent ROB his power and intelligence to work on all of his and Samus' projects.

_**In laughter? In strife?**_

Pikachu was happy. He had walked a long way, and he had worked hard. Now, he could rest and play all day. He could visit other Pokemon at the cabin in the woods, and the Grandmother was always kind to him. And he had his friend back. He could have a home again, and a friend again. He could exercise his abilities in helping his friend do his research, and then he could relax and play with Mewtwo and Jigglypuff when they were back from the cabin in the woods. And there was Lucario to play with now, too, when he was around.

Pikachu didn't bother himself with memories that weren't his own. They belonged to that other Pikachu. In his opinion, that other Pikachu could keep his memories. They seemed to be full of unhappiness. Life was settled and happy. So what if he had no master? Maybe he didn't want one. Friends were enough.

_**In 525,600 minutes - how do you measure a year in the life?**_

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Samus said to no one in particular.

"What's so amazing?" Ike asked.

"All the things we've all been through. We're all completely different people, and yet, basically, we're the same." she blinked, used to the philosophical thoughts but less used to sharing them.

Ike smiled. "That's true."

_**How about love?**_

_"What I wanted to talk to you about..." Samus appeared to think for a moment. "Well, to be honest, this." She leaned over and kissed him._

_Ike pulled Samus close, and they kissed for what seemed like forever. When they parted, Samus smiled, a bit awkwardly._

_"Really?" Ike's face was just as awkward. "So, you forgive me for..."_

_"Yes," Samus said. "I would say I'm grateful for it. It saved our lives, and I felt that way then, too."_

_"Oh." Ike smiled._

_**How about love?**_

"Remember the spell?" Samus asked.

"Of course," Ike said. "That's where this whole mess started."

_Ike floated through space, alone. Where was he? What was this?_

_Suddenly, a light began to glow. It had a pinkish cast, and a bluish one as well. He looked down, and it was coming from his chest, about the region of his heart. He felt something tugging slightly at him, and he floated forwards._

_Far away, he saw someone floating too._

_"Samus!" he called - he knew who it was. How, he wasn't so sure... A light began to glow from her, too, and she started to float towards him._

_The closer they became to each other, the faster they flew. Soon, they reached each other._

_"Hold on," Ike said, "If we lose each other I think we're dead." He wrapped an arm around her._

_**How about love?  
Measure in love.**_

_When Ike put an arm around Samus, to keep her from floating away, the lights grew brighter._

_"What's making this light?" Samus asked._

_"Uh... I think I might be able to figure that out." Ike pulled back Samus's visor, planting his lips on her forehead in a warm kiss. The light grew brighter again. "Uh huh. That's what I thought." Embarrassment coloured his voice, and he wasn't looking at her._

_"Ike? Explain..." Samus trailed off, worried._

_"We have to get out of here," Ike said. "It's our best chance. So... forgive me, please. I don't want to lose friendship with you."_

_"Hey, wait, explain to me what you're about to..." she was cut off by a kiss._

_**Seasons of love.**_

One way to get out of that abyss had been love, to light the darkness.

"This has been some ride, huh?" Ike asked.

"Yeah," said Samus, grinning. "Hey Ike?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for being there for it."

They kissed again.

_**525,600 minutes! 525,000 journeys to plan.**_

As Roy watched the bustle of last-minute preparations, a thought popped into his head. Sael would have loved this. She'd never seen a wedding before, but he knew she'd have reveled all the excitement and all the love.

_**525,600 minutes - how can you measure the life of a woman or man?**_

When Roy remembered Sael and Elyan, it was always with questions. Were they still alive? Were they together? Were they happy? He'd kept his promise, he hadn't forgotten about them. Had they forgotten about him?

_**In truths that she learned,  
Or in times that he cried.**_

Roy smiled. He knew the answers to some of them. Were they still alive? Unless Sael had been lying, yes. Were they together? Either way, it would have the same answer as 'were they happy'.

Sael had grown too, in the short time he had known her. She had found herself, which was what everyone wanted. Elyan had grown as well, to learn to love. Roy knew that Elyan still hurt inside, but that was to be expected. Give him a while and he'd be fine.

_**In bridges he burned,  
Or the way that she died...**_

As to whether they had forgotten him, he'd probably never know the answer, unless he somehow saw them again. Wherever they were, he hoped they were happy. He looked up as the wedding bells that Lady Melanie of Melodia's Sanctuary had brought rang out.

_**It's time now to sing out.  
Though the story never ends.  
Let's celebrate, remember a year in the life of friends!**_

Marth ran by, dressed in his best. Close on his heels was Lady Bethany of Melodia's Sanctuary, carrying a sheaf of papers. The two were going to provide the wedding music, due to an arrangement by a priestess of the Wedding March for duet pianos.

**"Come on, Roy!" he called. "You're going to be late!"**

Roy smiled, getting to his feet. Brushing the dirt off of his own clothing, he ran as well. Link had asked him to be best man. It would be letting Link down, being late.

_**How about love?  
You've got to  
you've got to remember the love...**_

Zelda beamed with happiness as she walked down the isle. Nana skipped before her, looking sweet in a lacy pink dress as she tossed rose petals onto the carpet in front of Zelda. Popo walked beside his sister, in a blue collared shirt with dark blue pants to go with it. He carried a pillow with two gold rings on it.

Zelda looked radiant. Her dress was pure white, smooth and bright as silk, with gold edging. It had tiny little sleeves, and a gauzy cape down the back of it. Her veil was sown with silver beads, and the bodice of the dress had gold.

She looked at Link, dashing in forest green, and felt her heart swell with love.

_**You know that love is a gift from up above...**_

Link was amazed, looking at his bride. His bride! He couldn't help grinning at the thought. She was the most wonderful thing he'd ever seen. The young priest standing beside him, Rhys, smiled. He'd never performed a wedding ceremony before, but he had been glad to.

"She's beautiful," Rhys said. "You are a very lucky man."

Link continued to grin. "I am very lucky," he said.

Zelda reached him, put her hands into his. Her eyes shone, and he didn't know if it was possible to be happier than he already was.

_**Share love! Give love! Spread love...  
Measure...  
Measure your life in love...**_

Link put the wedding ring on Zelda's finger, repeated the words that Rhys was speaking.

_**Seasons of love...**_

Zelda picked up Link's wedding band. She smiled and placed it on his finger. But instead of repeating what Rhys said, she closed her eyes.

Something beautiful and glowing appeared in his hands. It was Zelda's heart, beautiful and perfect, the black scar gone.

"For now, and always," Zelda said, "My heart is yours."

Rhys smiled. "I'd say that suffices," he said. "If there is anyone here who, for any reason, objects to this marriage, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

The silence was deafening.

"Then," Rhys said, "I now pronounce you man and wife."

_**Seasons of love...**_

"You may kiss the bride."

_**Measure your life  
measure your life in love.**_

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New World. Go read it! NOW. It's a whole lot better than this one, and likely to only get better.

But thank you for blessing my story with your attention.

Love ya!

Sue2


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